Lucien Cailliet
composer · clarinetist · conductor · film score composer · saxophonist
- May 22, 1891 · Dampierre-sur-Moivre
- January 3, 1985 · Woodland Hills
- 93 years
About Lucien Cailliet
Lucien Cailliet, 93, French-American composer.
Explore other notable deaths in 1985 or deaths in January 1985.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Lucien Cailliet?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|Lucien Cailliet (May 22, 1891 – January 3, 1985) was a French-American composer, conductor, arranger and clarinetist.
Biography
Cailliet was born in 1891 at Dampierre-sur-Moivre, in northern France.
He studied at several French music conservatories, most notably the Conservatory in Dijon, where he graduated at age 22. He also received a degree from the National Conservatory in Paris. He became a bandmaster in the French Army and, in 1915, toured the United States with the French Army Band, including performances at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition.
In 1919 or 1920, Cailliet emigrated to the US and joined the Philadelphia Orchestra, as a clarinetist, saxophonist, and staff arranger, where he worked closely with Leopold Stokowski. Around this time he also founded the Cherry Hill Wind Symphony, which would later become the Wind Symphony of Southern New Jersey. In 1923, at age 32, he became an American citizen, and attended graduate school at the Philadelphia Musical Academy.
Cailliet served as Associate Conductor of The Allentown Band (Pennsylvania) beginning in 1934, during which time he conducted many of his own arrangements. After receiving his Doctor of Music Degree in 1937, he moved to California to teach at the University of Southern California. After seven years there, he decided to devote his time to guest conducting and composing film scores. In the 1950s, he lived in Kenosha, Wisconsin where he worked for the musical instrument producer G. Leblanc Company and conducted the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra.
Lucien Cailliet died at Woodland Hills in 1985, at age 93.
Compositions and arrangements
Cailliet became known for his many faithful arrangements of orchestral music for wind ensemble. His arrangements of Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral (from Wagner's opera Lohengrin) and Finlandia (a symphonic poem by Jean Sibelius) have become staples of the wind ensemble repertory. In 1933, Cailliet performed Reynaldo Hahn's Sarabande et Theme on bass clarinet with Stokowski's Orchestra. In 1937 he made a new arrangement of Modest Mussorgsky's piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition for full orchestra. In 1938, he wrote "Variations on the Theme Pop! Goes the Weasel", a piece that has remained a favorite of bands and orchestras. He also orchestrated Claude Debussy's "Clair de lune" and three piano pieces of Sergei Rachmaninoff: the Serenade, No. 5 from Morceaux de fantaisie Opus 3, the Prelude No. 5 in G minor from the 10 preludes of Opus 23, and the Prelude No. 5 in G major from the 13 preludes of Opus 32. He also made several arrangements for clarinet choir that have become staples of the repertoire.
Cailliet also enjoyed a prolific career creating music for films. He contributed to nearly fifty films as either composer or arranger. Among the best known of these films are She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, The Ten Commandments (for which Elmer Bernstein wrote the score), and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. His most famous orchestration is the virtuoso piece for piano and orchestra Midnight on the Cliffs by the pianist and composer Leonard Pennario, for the Andrew L. Stone film Julie (1956).
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Lucien Cailliet on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucien_Cailliet
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 31, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Lucien Cailliet's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what year was Lucien Cailliet born?
- A.1895
- B.1889
- C.1905
- D.1891correct
Lucien Cailliet was born in 1891 in Dampierre-sur-Moivre, France.
Source: Biography section
2.Where did Lucien Cailliet graduate at age 22?
- A.The Bordeaux Conservatory
- B.The Paris Opera School
- C.The Lyon Music Academy
- D.The Conservatory in Dijoncorrect
Lucien Cailliet studied at several French music conservatories, most notably the Conservatory in Dijon, where he graduated at age 22.
Source: Biography section
3.With which famous conductor did Lucien Cailliet work closely at the Philadelphia Orchestra?
- A.Leopold Stokowskicorrect
- B.Elmer Bernstein
- C.Andrew L. Stone
- D.Leonard Bernstein
Lucien Cailliet joined the Philadelphia Orchestra where he worked closely with Leopold Stokowski.
Source: Biography section
4.In what year did Lucien Cailliet become an American citizen?
- A.1934
- B.1919
- C.1915
- D.1923correct
Lucien Cailliet became an American citizen in 1923 at the age of 32.
Source: Biography section
5.What position did Lucien Cailliet hold at The Allentown Band beginning in 1934?
- A.Lead Arranger
- B.Associate Conductorcorrect
- C.Executive Director
- D.Principal Clarinetist
Lucien Cailliet served as Associate Conductor of The Allentown Band beginning in 1934.
Source: Biography section
6.Which of these musical works did Lucien Cailliet arrange for wind ensemble?
- A.Mozart's Clarinet Concerto
- B.Verdi's Requiem
- C.Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
- D.Finlandia by Jean Sibeliuscorrect
Lucien Cailliet's arrangement of Finlandia by Jean Sibelius became a staple of the wind ensemble repertory.
Source: Compositions and arrangements section
7.Lucien Cailliet wrote 'Variations on the Theme Pop! Goes the Weasel' in which year?
- A.1933
- B.1956
- C.1937
- D.1938correct
Lucien Cailliet wrote the variations on the theme Pop! Goes the Weasel in 1938.
Source: Compositions and arrangements section
8.In the 1950s, Lucien Cailliet worked for which musical instrument producer?
- A.Yamaha
- B.Steinway & Sons
- C.G. Leblanc Companycorrect
- D.Selmer
In the 1950s, Lucien Cailliet lived in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he worked for the musical instrument producer G. Leblanc Company.
Source: Biography section
9.Lucien Cailliet performed which piece on bass clarinet with Stokowski's Orchestra in 1933?
- A.Elsa's Procession
- B.Sarabande et Themecorrect
- C.Midnight on the Cliffs
- D.Clair de lune
In 1933, Lucien Cailliet performed Reynaldo Hahn's Sarabande et Theme on bass clarinet with Stokowski's Orchestra.
Source: Compositions and arrangements section
10.Lucien Cailliet contributed to nearly how many films during his career?
- A.Fiftycorrect
- B.Thirty
- C.Twenty
- D.One hundred
Lucien Cailliet contributed to nearly fifty films as either composer or arranger.
Source: Compositions and arrangements section
11.For which 1956 film did Lucien Cailliet provide the orchestration for Midnight on the Cliffs?
- A.Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
- B.Juliecorrect
- C.She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
- D.The Ten Commandments
Lucien Cailliet's most famous orchestration, Midnight on the Cliffs, was for the 1956 Andrew L. Stone film Julie.
Source: Compositions and arrangements section
12.Where did Lucien Cailliet die in 1985?
- A.Philadelphia
- B.Woodland Hillscorrect
- C.Kenosha
- D.Paris
Lucien Cailliet died at Woodland Hills in 1985 at age 93.
Source: Biography section
13.What is the name of the method developed by Lucien Cailliet for playing the saxophone?
- A.The Philadelphia Technique
- B.The Woodwind System
- C.Cailliet Methodcorrect
- D.The Leblanc Approach
The Cailliet Method is a method for playing the saxophone.
Source: See also section
14.After receiving his Doctor of Music Degree in 1937, where did Lucien Cailliet move to teach?
- A.University of Wisconsin
- B.University of Paris
- C.University of Pennsylvania
- D.University of Southern Californiacorrect
After receiving his Doctor of Music Degree in 1937, Lucien Cailliet moved to California to teach at the University of Southern California.
Source: Biography section
15.Which symphony did Lucien Cailliet found that later became the Wind Symphony of Southern New Jersey?
- A.Philadelphia Wind Orchestra
- B.Allentown Wind Band
- C.Kenosha Wind Ensemble
- D.Cherry Hill Wind Symphonycorrect
Lucien Cailliet founded the Cherry Hill Wind Symphony, which later became the Wind Symphony of Southern New Jersey.
Source: Biography section
16.In what year did Lucien Cailliet tour the United States with the French Army Band?
- A.1915correct
- B.1923
- C.1919
- D.1910
Lucien Cailliet became a bandmaster in the French Army and, in 1915, toured the United States with the French Army Band.
Source: Biography section
Explore the archive
People who died on January 3
Related People
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Lucien Cailliet →Advertisement
