They called him “le Romain,” but not because he resembled a lettuce.

Jacques Hotteterre, most celebrated of a dynasty of woodwind makers and players, received his nickname for his early period in Rome. There he studied and soon found employment with Prince Francesco Ruspoli. In 1708, he entered the court of Louis XIV, King of France, whom he served as Jouëur de Fluste de la musique de chambre. In addition to being a master of the transverse flute, Hotteterre also played bassoon, oboe, and musette (a kind of French bagpipe). He’s said to have made certain innovations to the design of the transverse flute and wrote several methods. His “L’Art de préluder sur la flûte traversière,” published in 1719, was Europe’s first flute manual and enjoyed great success.

Today marks the 350th anniversary of his birth. Hotteterre died in Paris in 1763, a few months shy of his 90th birthday. Joyeux anniversaire!