French composer and conductor, Henri Tomasi (1901-1971) composed The Little Corsican Goatherd in 1952. As with his other woodwind compositions, The Little Corsican Goatherd was well-received by audiences.

Tomasi was born in Marseille, but his Father and Mother were originally from La Casinca in Corsica. Despite being pressured in to musical studies by his parents, Tomasi dreamed of becoming a sailor, and during the summer, he stayed with his Grandmother in Corsica where he learnt traditional Corsican songs. However, in 1921, he began his studies at the Paris Conservatoire and went on to become a high profile composer and conductor. Tomasi did not forget his Corsican routes, often incorporating themes of the songs he had learnt during the summers with his Grandmother. This is apparent in The Little Corsican Goatherd for Flute and Piano or Harp accompaniment. This Tomasi piece is suitable to intermediate level flautists and its popularity has been proven by its inclusion in the ABRSM grade 5 syllabus since 2005.