Joseph Rampal (1898–1983) was a distinguished flutist in his own right, albeit better known as the father of the internationally renowned soloist Jean-Pierre Rampal.

Born in Provence, France, the son of a Marseille jeweller, Joseph showed musical talent as a youngster and in 1913 was sent to Paris, with silver flute in hand, to further his studies. His elder brother Jean-Baptiste was already in the capital, studying painting with Auguste Renoir at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Joseph was to become another star graduate of the legendary French Flute School. Along with Marcel Moyse, Rene le Roy, Georges Laurent, Gaston Blanquart, Georges Delangle, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire under the celebrated flutist Adolphe Hennebains (1862–1914), who was himself a pupil of Paul Taffanel.

At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Joseph and his brother joined the army. Within just a few weeks, Jean-Baptiste was killed on the Marne. Joseph himself was wounded twice in 1916 but survived and in 1918 returned to Paris to continue his flute studies at the Conservatoire. In 1919, playing Busser’s ‘Thème Varie’, Joseph was awarded the Conservatoire’s First Prize. A young Marcel Moyse was on the jury.