Career
He is known both for his writings on the history of music, and also for being a director of the Paris Conservatoire. François-Louis Perne was born in Paris. He started his musical training as a choirboy in the parish of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie.
In 1792, he became a tenor in the chorus of the Opéra National de Paris, where he remained until 1799, when he became a contrabassist in the orchestra.
He was later appointed to the position of professor of harmony at the Paris Conservatoire in 1811, as a successor to Charles Catel. He later became general inspector of the Conservatoire in 1816 and librarian in 1819.
He died at Laon.