Rhené-Baton

Who was Rhené-Baton?

René-Emmanuel Baton, known as Rhené-Baton, was a French conductor and composer. Though born in Courseulles-sur-Mer, Normandy, his family originated in Vitré in nearby Brittany. He returned to the region at the age of 19, and many of his compositions express his love of the area. He also had close relationships with composers of the Breton cultural renaissance, notably Guy Ropartz, Paul Le Flem, Paul Ladmirault and Louis Aubert. As a conductor he was notable for his attempts to expand appreciation of classical music.