Jean-Baptiste Arban (1825 - 1889) was a cornet player, conductor, composer, pedagogue and the first famed virtuoso of the ‘cornet à piston’ or valved cornet. He was influenced by Niccolò Paganini's virtuosic technique on the violin and successfully proved that the cornet was a true solo instrument by developing virtuoso technique on the instrument.

The 'Carnival of Venice' is a popular Italian folk tune associated with the words "My hat, it has three corners." It was heard in Venice by the vi...