Dumanoir, Guillaume (1615–c. 1697)

French violinist and composer. As the ‘Roi des Violons’ (the head of the guild of violin players) he came into conflict with the dancing-masters, whom he wished to compel to contribute to the violinists' guild of Saint-Julien. Being unsuccessful in this, he wrote the abusive pamphlet Le Mariage de la musique avec la danse/The Marriage of Music and Dance (1664). He composed dance music that was liked by Louis XIV, who appointed him ballet master of the royal pages.

He was the son of Guillaume Dumanoir, whom he succeeded as head of the Confrérie de Saint-Julien (the violinists' guild). He renewed his father's quarrel with the dancing masters, resigning in 1685. Before that he had quarrelled with Jean-Baptiste Lully over the privilege of training orchestra musicians and lost a lawsuit against him in 1673.