d ' Ar mor , ▁in ▁the ▁Brit t any ▁region ▁of ▁France , ▁and ▁moved ▁south ▁with ▁his ▁family ▁to ▁Mont pel lier ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 2 ▁years ▁old . ▁He ▁entered ▁the ▁Paris ▁Conserv atoire ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 5 ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 5 , ▁in ▁the ▁class ▁of ▁Nap ol éon ▁Al kan ▁( bro ther ▁of ▁Charles - Val entin ▁Al kan ). ▁François ▁B az in ▁and ▁From ental ▁Hal év y ▁were ▁among ▁his ▁other ▁not ew orth y ▁teachers . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁he ▁won ▁the ▁second ▁Grand ▁Prix ▁de ▁Rome ▁with ▁his ▁cant ata ▁Le ▁Ro cher ▁d ' App enz ell . ▁ ▁He ▁joined ▁the ▁conserv atoire ▁as ▁a ▁teacher ▁of ▁music ▁theory ▁and ▁harm ony , ▁succeed ing ▁his ▁own ▁teacher ▁B az in ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 . ▁ ▁His ▁pup ils ▁includes ▁Gabriel ▁Pier né , ▁Claude ▁Deb uss y , ▁Camil le ▁Er lang er ▁and ▁Arthur ▁G oring ▁Thomas . ▁▁ ▁Dur and ▁fav ored ▁writing ▁popular ▁songs ▁( ch ans ons ) ▁and ▁art ▁songs ▁( m él od ies ), ▁although ▁he ▁also ▁produced ▁a ▁few ▁l ighter ▁works ▁for ▁stage ▁early ▁in ▁his ▁career , ▁including ▁the ▁op éra ▁com ique ▁L ' E li x ir ▁de ▁C orm el ius ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁oper etta ▁L ' A str on ome ▁de ▁Pont - Ne uf ▁in