Meet Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the 18th-century polymath also known as the so- called "Black Mozart." Joseph de Bologne was born December 25, 1745, on a plantation near Basse- Terre, on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. His mother was Anne Nanon, an enslaved so-called "mistress" of his father, George de Bologne de Saint-Georges.
He was tutored in violin by Jean-Marie Leclair, another important composer of the time, and studied composition with François Joseph Gossec. His first string quartets were performed in the salons of Paris in 1772 and were published in the spring of 1773.
Saint-Georges became the Conductor of Le Concert des Amateurs in 1773, combining his conducting duties with composing. From 1773 through 1775, he produced eight violin concertos and two symphonies concertantes. In 1775, only two years after Saint-Georges became Conductor, L’Almanach Musical [The Musical Almanac] wrote that the ensemble was “the best orchestra for symphonies in Paris and perhaps in Europe.” Some people call Saint-Georges the “Black Mozart,” but that nickname is not accurate as he was always much more than a classical musician and composer. He was also one of the best fencers in Europe and a heroic Colonel in the French Revolution.