Arban was born in
Lyon,
France, one of ten children of Simon Arban, artificier. An older brother was the balloonist
Francisque Arban. He studied
trumpet with
François Dauverné at the
Paris Conservatoire from 1841 to 1845. After graduating from the conservatory with honors, Arban began to master the cornet. He was appointed professor of
saxhorn at the
École Militaire in 1857, and became professor of cornet at the Paris Conservatoire in 1869, where
Merri Franquin was among his students. In 1864, he published his influential
Grande méthode complète pour cornet à pistons et de saxhorn. The title of the updated English language translation is,
Arban’s Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet. In 1876, at the invitation of
Alexander II, Arban conducted some concerts in
Pavlovsk. Arban apparently made a
phonograph cylinder recording for the
Edison Company shortly before his death. In the Finnish newspaper
Hufvudstadsbladet (no. 96, of 11 April 1890, page 2), Arban's recording is mentioned: "Among the phonograms a particular one must be mentioned: solo on cornet à piston, played by the famous French virtuoso monsieur Arban called 'Fanfare d'Edison'." Arban died in
Paris. == The Arban method book ==