Nadia Boulanger

As a composer, Boulanger wrote in a refined, late-Romantic French style influenced by Fauré (her teacher) and early Debussy. Her works are characterized by elegant harmonic language, lyrical vocal writing, and meticulous craftsmanship. She ceased composing after her sister Lili's death in 1918, considering Lili the greater talent — one of music history's most poignant acts of artistic deference.

She studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Fauré, Widor, and others. Her sister Lili Boulanger was the first woman to win the Prix de Rome. As a teacher, she transmitted the great French tradition to an astonishing roster of 20th-century composers from across the globe. Her teaching at the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau and privately in Paris shaped the course of modern music.

She was a promising composer in her youth, nearly winning the Prix de Rome (she placed second — the jury wasn't ready for a woman winner). After Lili's death in 1918, she devoted herself entirely to teaching, conducting, and performing. Her teaching career spanned over 60 years, during which she shaped virtually every major school of 20th-century composition. She continued teaching almost until her death at 92.

When Aaron Copland arrived at Boulanger's studio in Paris in 1921, he was a talented but unformed 20-year-old. She recognized his gift instantly and became his mentor. He later said she was 'the most remarkable woman I have ever known.' The list of composers who said similar things is endless — she had an almost supernatural ability to identify and nurture individual talent while insisting on the highest standards of craft.

Boulanger's own compositions — written before she stopped composing at age 31 — are genuinely beautiful and deserve far more attention. Her songs, her choral works, and especially her cantata La Sirène reveal a sensitive, accomplished compositional voice that she sacrificed in honor of her sister's memory.

Boulanger's compositions are rarely performed — she's known overwhelmingly as a teacher. But there's growing interest in her music, particularly her songs and choral works, as performers rediscover the overlooked compositions of women from this era. Any performance of her music is an event worth attending, especially paired with music by her sister Lili or her famous students.