The french composer Gabriel Édouard Xavier Dupont (March 1, 1878 – August 2, 1914) was born in Caen. He began his musical studies at the Conservatoire de musique et de déclamation (Paris) at the age of 15, studying harmony with Antoine Taudou, counterpoint with André Gedalge and composition with Jules Massenet. In 1895, he was given instruction on the organ by Alexander Guilmant. Between 1897 and 1903, he studied composition with Charles-Marie Widor.
In 1901 Dupont competed for the Rome Prize. He won second prize, behind André Caplet but ahead of Maurice Ravel. He was also named laureate of the Sonzogno competition for his opera La Cabrera.
His oeuvre is extremely melancholy and full of emotion. The impressionistic and delicate athmosphere, that the music of Dupont evokes, seems to derive directly from his always very week health. He used to live surrounded by all his medicin.
Dupont died from tuberculosis on the evening of 2 August 1914 in Le Vésinet only 36 years old.