Antoine Forqueray (c. 1671–1745) was a French composer and virtuoso of the … Read Full Bio ↴Antoine Forqueray (c. 1671–1745) was a French composer and virtuoso of the viola da gamba.

Forqueray, born in Paris, was the first in a line of composers who included his brother Michel Forqueray (1681-1757) and his sons Jean-Baptiste Forqueray (1699-1782) and Nicolas Gilles Forqueray (1703-1761). Forqueray was named musicien ordinaire of La Chambre du Roy of Louis XIV in 1689 and played at court. Until 1710, he was accompanied by his wife on the harpsichord in his recitals. In 1730, he retired to Mantes-la-Jolie, where he died in 1745.

His son published his works for the viola de gamba in 1747 (two years after his death) together with a version for harpsichord.

Marin Marais and Antoine Forqueray were considered by their contemporaries as the two greatest virtuosos of the viola da gamba.