Composer and theorist. Studied under Moreau at the choir school of the Cathedral of Langres; made a journey to Italy, about which little is known, and ended up in Paris in 1697. Montéclair performed on the basse de violon in the Paris Opéra orchestra around 1699; he was one of the first (along with Fedeli) to introduce the instrument (which he probably encountered in Italian orchestras) into the Opéra. He was highly esteemed as a teacher, and his pupils included Couperin 's daughters.
Montéclair is acknowledged as one of the most important composers of the post- Lully generation; his stage works, which premiered at the Opéra ( Les festes de l'été 1716; Jephté 1732), influenced Rameau 's dramatic music. Other compositions include over twenty cantatas and some instrumental music. He published the first French violin method, Méthode facile pour apprendre à jouer du violon (Paris, 1711-12) and several practical theory books, including Principes de musique (Paris, 1736), a valuable source of information about French vocal ornamentation.