The Antoine Courtois company was founded in Paris in 1789. The company's current name comes from the name of one of the founder's children who created the brand name in 1803. The company has been a leading manufacturer of brass instruments ever since, particularly saxophone

Saxophone

The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...

, trumpet

Trumpet

The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...

, cornet

Cornet

The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...

, flugelhorn

Flugelhorn

The flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...

, and trombone

Trombone

The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...

. Today, Antoine Courtois is one of the brand names of Buffet Crampon

Buffet Crampon

Buffet Crampon et Compagnie is a French manufacturer of woodwind musical instruments, including oboes, flutes, saxophones, and bassoons; however, the company is perhaps most famous for their clarinets, as Buffet is the brand of choice for many professionals....

 Group, headed by Antoine Beaussant

Antoine Beaussant

Antoine Beaussant, 54, has been since November 2007.Antoine Beaussant completed a science Baccalauréat in 1974, at the age of 16. He graduated from Ecole de Hautes Etudes Commerciales du Nord in Lille and from Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires , where he followed the European...

 .

Renowned Cornetist Herbert L. Clarke

Herbert L. Clarke

Herbert Lincoln Clarke was a well-known American cornet player, feature soloist, bandmaster, and composer....

 was given a Courtois cornet upon joining the Queens’s Own

The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada

The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a militia regiment within the Canadian Forces, based in Toronto, Ontario. The regiment is part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only Primary Reserve regiment in Canada to have a parachute role. The regiment consists of the reserve...

  Regimental Band

Military band

A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...

 in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

in 1883, where he served intermittently as Cornetist for nine years.