Nadia Boulanger

Juliette Nadia Boulanger was born on September 16, 1887, in Paris, into a prestigious musical dynasty. Entering the Paris Conservatoire at age nine, she studied composition under Gabriel Fauré and organ under Charles-Marie Widor, winning first prizes in harmony, counterpoint, and organ. In 1908, she took second place in the prestigious Prix de Rome with her cantata *La Sirène*.

Following the tragic early death of her brilliantly gifted younger sister Lili Boulanger in 1918, Nadia ceased composing, dedicating her life to musical education and conducting. Over seven decades from her apartment at 36 Rue Ballu in Paris and the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau, 'Mademoiselle' taught a staggering roll call of 20th-century composers: Aaron Copland, Elliott Carter, Virgil Thomson, Roy Harris, Walter Piston, Quincy Jones, Philip Glass, Astor Piazzolla, and Michel Legrand.

Boulanger was a pioneer on the podium, becoming the first woman to conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. Awarded the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour and the Order of the British Empire, she passed away in Paris on October 22, 1979, having shaped the sound of modern classical and cinematic music more than any other teacher in history.