He married in 1900 with the cellist Fernande Dauphin. The couple had two children: Edmond and Marcelle future harpist, soloist of the Concerts Poulet and Concerts Colonne but also future mother of Arlette Sweetman.
A great friend of Pierre Monteux, the latter engaged him in the orchestra of the Ballets Russes which he directed. He participated in several very important premieres by Igor Stravinsky: Petrushka in June 1911 at the Châtelet, The Nightingale in May 1914 and The Rite of Spring given at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées 29 May 1913. It was the occasion of one of the most enormous chahuts of all time but also a cultural shock that was to radically transform the vision of the future of intellectuals and artists. He had long dreamed of being part of the Opéra Orchestra, where he was appointed in 1923.
Gaston Blanquart had a passion for pedagogy and had many pupils throughout his life, both in private and at the Schola Cantorum de Paris and at the Institut Berlioz. He welcomed many amateurs, including teachers Alexandre Minkowski and Louis Leprince-Ringuet. The atmosphere was very special rue de Miromesnil:[4] Father, mother and daughter gave all three lessons all day long.
At the time of retirement, the last show in which Gaston Blanquart participated was the Faust by Charles Gounod where the role of Marguerite was held by a twenty-five year young debutante: Victoria de Los Angeles.
In November 1953, he was promoted to the rank of Chevalier of the Legion d'honneur. Maurice Lehmann, director of the Opera, handed him his Cross.[5]
All of his life he would help the most fragile. During the First World War he was taken prisoner at the very outset of hostilities and was interned at the Minden camp in Westphalia. He spent four years with twelve thousand other prisoners, and showed them an altruism uncommon in such circumstances. "It seemed that Gaston Blanquart imposed on all by his art, his calm reflection and also by a sort of kindness which was emanating from his personality. Unfortunately, there were not many men like him," wrote Maurice Carton, one of his companions in captivity.
Blanquart was very involved in associative life and social action, he helped young musicians as well as the elder ones. In November 1962 he suffered a malaise, he oscillated several days between life and death. He died in his sleep on 1 December 1962.
^"He made a name for himself in the Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune where his only presence ensured the concert a full house." Claude Dorgeuille, L'école française de flûte, 1860-1950, Éditions Coderg, 1983, (p. 127)
