Charles Lucièn Lambert was born in New Orleans in 1828 or 1829 of musical parentage. A gifted pianist, he was able to move to Paris while still a young man. They're his piano playing and his compositions were welcomed. His son, Lucièn Léon Guillaume, was born just outside of Paris in 1858. For inexplicable reasons the family moved to Brazil in the 1860's where Charles Lucien continued as a virtuoso pianist, and his son followed in his father's footsteps. Lucièn Léon Guillaume returned to France, where he became a pupil of Massenet, his compositions soon winning prizes, while in Spain his music became so famous that he was decorated by the King. He was to work on a larger scale than his father, producing ballets, symphonic music, choral works and a large amount of instrumental music. He was later to teach in Paris, but spent the latter part of his life in Portugal where he died.
