Georges Barrère (1876–1944) studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Henry Altès and Paul Taffanel.

As a very young man in 1894 he played the solo in the first performance of Debussy’s Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune.

In 1905 he emigrated to the USA where he was first flute in the New York Symphony Orchestra, which later merged with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Barrère taught at the Institute of Musical Art, which became the Juilliard School.

He taught an entire generation of great American flute players including William Kincaid, Samuel Baron, Frances Blaisdell, Arthur Lora and Bernard Goldberg.

Barrère gave the first performances of many works that are now part of the standard repertoire of the flute, including Edgard Varèse’s Density 21.5, written to be performed on Barrère’s newly-acquired platinum flute.

Barrère founded the New York Flute Club in 1920.

Il est flûte solo lors de la première du Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune de Claude Debussy en 1894.