Philippe Musard (8 November 1792 – 31 March 1859) was a French composer who was crucial to the development and popularity of the promenade concert.

[2][4] When Napoleon was defeated, he moved to London, started as a violinist, and eventually his career progressed to the point of leading the orchestra of King George IV and organized balls, becoming wealthy in the process.

[2] Musard moved back to Paris following the July Revolution on 1830 and established a series of concerts at Cours-la-Reine.

With the help of a financier, Musard produced concerts at the Théâtre des Variétés which catered to the resulting hedonism of the time.

[9] Central to these concerts was a can-can of "lascivious spectacle" involving girls dressed in only feather boas and gloves.

[10] Initially these concerts caused considerable scandal, but the government decided to tolerate them as a "safety valve" to prevent further civil disturbance.

[15] The summer of 1837 saw Musard performing at a large facility on Champs-Élysées, and in the winter moving back to the Salle Valentino.

[3][22] When Musard's son Alfred (1828–1881),[8] who succeeded him in music and in business,[14] led a series of concerts in the United States his first name was hidden in a deliberate attempt to mislead potential audiences that the Quadrille King was present.

[23] His reputation preceding him in England, Musard was expected to bring his concerts to Exeter Hall in October 1839, but these events never occurred as the shareholders disallowed them, feeling the comportment would violate the intended religious purpose of the building.

[2][25] He left December 19 that year, owing to previous engagements back in Paris,[25] but returned to London at the Lyceum Theatre the following autumn, competing with Jullien.

He was treated by the homeopath Charles Lethière, but suffered another stroke late in October, which greatly inhibited his reasoning ability.

Lethière relates that upon arrival, Musard appeared completely oblivious to either his friends, or to the enthusiastic acclimations of the crowd.

[16] He died in Auteuil on 31 March 1859, almost completely forgotten in a short time; even the musical press barely noticed.

[36] His concerts were described in 1837 as "a musical paradise" in "a spacious hall furnished with mirrors, couches, ottomans, statues, fountains, and floral decorations, and at one end a café attended by a troupe of ‘perfumed waiters'".

[39] Audiences attended his concerts not only for the music, but to see the man himself in the act of leading the orchestra, regardless of the music being performed[40][41] At climactic moments, Musard would dispose of his baton, throwing it into the audience, and rise to a standing position (standard practice at the time placed the conductor in a sitting position) to display his dominance over the happenings.

[15][40] Musard employed wild gestures including the hands, feet, arms, knees, and not the least grotesque facial expressions when leading.

[38] As a result, rumors circulated that he made a deal with the Devil, preceding Paganini's reputation,[42] captured in poems such as: Ce Musard infernal C'est Satan qui conduit le bal!

[43] He was not considered attractive physically, having acquired significant scarring from smallpox, a yellow complexion, and had an unkempt appearance, always dressing in a black suit that was not measured properly.

[27] These unusual effects originated accidentally, when one of his players' chairs broke during the concert in an audibly significant fashion.

[7] He borrowed heavily from compositions his listeners would recognize, which engendered some measure of criticism[52] and legal action against his publishers.