Adrien-Francois Servais

Adrien-Francois Servais (1807-1866) was one of the most influential cellists of the nineteenth century.

Born in Hal, near Brussels, Servais was originally trained as a violinist before switching to the cello later on. Known by his contemporaries for his virtuosity and excessive vibrato, he was given the gift of a Stradivarius cello early in his career. He is also the composer of numerous works for his instrument, including two concerti and nearly twenty duos for two cellos or cello and violin. Hector Berlioz later referred to Servais as "the Paganini of the cello".