Nadia Boulanger

 

 

 

Pays/Ville

Paris, France

 

 

Details Personnels:

Bonjour! I am Nadia Boulanger, but I've also been known to be Juliette Nadia Boulanger. I was born on September 16th, 1887, the first child of my parents Raissa Myschetsky Shuvalov and Ernest Boulanger. My mother was Russian and my father was French, they both had musical talent which I was lucky to recieve. I have one little sister, Marie Juliette who I called Lili. All of my family was very musically inclined. This is why it was surprising that I orginally hated anything related to music. It was when my father began to teach me that I began to see the potential for music. After I began to get into music, my mother started pushing me even further into music. She was perhaps the biggest advocate of me not only going into music, but doing exceedingly well in music. When my father passed away I was even more inclinded to pursue music. My proudest moment was perhaps getting 2nd place in the Prix de Rome in 1908 where I went out of the normal and composed a piece for a string quartet. I was proud once again in 1912, but not of my own actions, but of my little sister, Lili. She had one first place at the Prix de Rome! Sadly, she passed away after five years, and just like my father's death it inspired to spread music. This time, it was hers, even though Lili may have passed away, her work will still be recognized. I made sure to dedidicate time to this, fitting it in between teaching music, my greatest passion.

 

 

Date de Naissance:

September 16, 1887 in Paris

Date de Mort:

October 22, 1979 in Paris

Sexe:

Female

Croyances Politiques:

I support the monarchy, as I am a Royalist

 

Croyances Religieuses:

I am a Roman Catholic.

 

Situation de Famille:

My family consisted of my father, Ernest Boulanger, my mother, Raissa Myschetsky and my sister, Marie Juliette Boulanger.  

 

Enfants:

I had no children, I was never married

 

En Cherchant:

New students to teach, new musicians to meet, anyone who would want to discuss music

 

Metier:

Music teacher/professor, composer, conductor, pianist, organ soloist

 

Interets/Loisirs:

• Spreading and promoting my deceased sister, Lili's work.
• Teaching music
• playing the piano
• playing the organ
• guest playing in orchestras
• composing music

 

Accomplissements:

• Second Place in the Grand Prix de Rome for La Sirene
• Honorary Knight Commander for the Order of Britian
• Also a Commander or Officer in Belgium, France, Poland, Monaco, and Bulgaria.
• Degrees from Harvard, Oxford, Brown, Smith and many more.
• Received the Henry Hadley Medal from National Association of American Composers and Conductors
• Grand Prix du Disque

Education:

• My parents; Ernest Boulanger and Raissa Myschetsky
• Paul Vidal for accompaniment.
• Gabriel Faure for composition
• Alexandre Guilmant to learn how to play the organ
• Raoul Pugno was her last instructor; helped me in music overall. Even directed my first students to me.

 

 

Musique Preferee:

• Symphonic music
• Tango
• Orchestral
• Choirs
• Classical
• Anything that was pleasant to hear

 

Personnage que je voudrais rencontrer et pourquoi:

My former students, to see how well they've done over the years. To see how music has shaped their lives, as it did mine.

I'd also love to meet Tchaikovsky. As he was a friend of my fathers. Not only would I be able to connect to him on many musical aspects as I have lots of respect for him, but the connection that he had to my father would make his acquaintance much more valuable. I'd love to hear how my father was when he was in school. As my father was short lived, and died early on in my life, I feel like I'd gain a few years back by meeting some of his friends. Tchaikovsky has beautiful music, to be able to be around such talent would be an honour. I'd be able to learn things about some of the things I love most in the world, my family (my father) and music. If only I had the opportunity to gain his acquaintance, perhaps I'd be able to be closer to my family and my passion. 

 

 

Amis:

• Lili, my sister
• Maurice Ravel
• Walter Damrosch
• Louis Vierne
• Auguste Chapuis
• Stravinsky

 

 

Citation Memorable:

"Do not take up music unless you would rather die than not do so." -Nadia Boulanger

"The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion."-Nadia Boulanger

 

 

Mon Influence sur la Culture Francaise

     I believe my contribution to the culture of France has been great. Not only did I break the boundaries by being a women who was not only passionate about music, but I was a women who was successful in music. I got to travel to many places around the world, bringing back aspects of music back to France. This made French music more rich, and more unique not only in style, but also in technique. I feel that I brought more American culture back to France over the visits I had made there.  My collaboration and work with other musicians brought more and more to the music that I loved.

     I was a teacher, a mentor, a performer, and a creator of music. I was lucky enough to be able to spread the one thing I loved most in the world, and do it for a career. Perhaps my favorite part of my career was being a teacher. I felt as though by teaching one student, I was teaching many. For music is something that spreads quickly. What I've taught my students, they've shown others in their performances and advice. I've touched the hearts of my many students, and their admirers. French Culture in music was enhanced as I taught. I had no one way of teaching. My students did not compose music that was directly like mine, they produced their own. Each piece created by one of my students was as unique as themselves. By having my roughly thousand students create their own music, their very own music, they broadened the music horizons for many listeners.

      I've been to the United States of America, Monaco, Belgium, Poland, England and many more countries. Every single visit I made, I brought back something valuable. Whether it had to do with phrasing, or style, or technique, I wanted to introduce it to my students back home in France. These ideas were embraced by my students and musicians everywhere, but they weren't just embraced. They were changed, and formatted to fit each individual, to fit France as a nation. France is a wonderful country, one in which music strives and grows everyday. By learning Tango music in the states, I've brought something completely foreign to most back home! This is just one of the many examples of things that I've picked up at different places. It's hard to imagine France being any different than it is now, but I know for a fact, that without musical contributions from me and my fellow musicians, France would not be culturally rich as it today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resources:

 

Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2009. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC

 

"Nadia Boulanger." Contemporary Musicians, Volume 56. Thomson Gale, 2006.

Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC