Date of birth: 11-13-1774

Date of death: 1-11-1841

Clair Godfroy, the eldest son of another flute maker, also called Clair, became famous for his way of making the instrument. He promoted several innovations in the structure of the flute and some of them remain actually, such as keys with arms, double key in G# and silver inlay on the mouthpiece. In 1814 he opened his own workshop in Paris, which operated at the same address for many years, until 1888.

In 1821, Clair Godfroy became a supplier to the Académie Royale de Musique, an important French musical institution. In addition to flutes, Godfroy also made piccolos, clarinets, and flageolets. He retired in 1836 and the workshop passed to his son, Vincent Hypolite, and his son-in-law, Louis, who formed a partnership until the workshop was closed.

Additional names: Clair Godfroy, aîné. The term “aîné” used after the last name indicates that it is the eldest child of two or more members of the same family, especially in the context of the French language.

References:

GROVE MUSIC ONLINE, 2014. Eduardo Monteiro, professor of flute at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). HORNIMAN, 2014. MIMO, 2014. LEXICO ENGLISH DICTIONARY, 2022.