Auguste Franchomme was a French composer and cellist. His works include a cello concerto and cello solos with orchestral, chamber, or piano accompaniment. He spent his education at the Lille Conservatory with Mas and Pierre Baumann, and later, at the Paris Conservatoire with Levasseur and Norblin. Franchomme also became a founding member of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire. 

Known as the most popular French cellist of his day, Franchomme established Duport's elegant, simple, light French bow technique incorporating a fast, precise, left hand and expressive, singing tone. Duport's great 1711 Stradivari helped him with this. He purchased the instrument from Duport's son in 1843 for 22,000 francs. Rostropovich acquired this unit in 1974.