A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Brassin, Louis

BRASSIN, Louis, a Belgian pianist and composer, born June 24, 1836, at Aix-la-Chapelle. His father was a baritone singer of some renown, whose real name was de Brassine, and an uncle of his was Drouet, the famous flautist. To the fact that in 1847 his father was engaged at the opera in Leipzig, young Brassin owed the most important part of his education, for he entered the Conservatorium of that town, and became a pupil of Moscheles, having some years previously appeared in public at Hamburg. He remained in the Conservatorium for five years, carrying off numerous prizes. At the close of this time he undertook several concert tours with his two brothers, and in 1866 was appointed first pianoforte teacher in the Stern Conservatorium at Berlin. After a year's tenure of this post, he resumed a more or less wandering life, and ultimately settled in Brussels as professor in the Conservatoire. In 1878 he accepted a similar post at St. Petersburg, where he died in May 1884. His works include, beside many excellent pianoforte pieces, two German operettas, 'Der Thronfolger,' and 'Der Missionär.' Of his two younger brothers, one, Leopold (born May 28, 1843), who made his first appearance as a pianist at the age of five under Louis Brassin's auspices, is pianist to the Duke of Saxe Coburg, and Professor at Berne; the other, Gerhard (born June 10, 1844), is a violinist of repute.

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