Boulanger came from a musical family that included her grandmother, mezzo-soprano Marie-Julie, her father, composer and violin professor Ernest-Henri-Alexandre and her sister
Lili, a composer. She studied at the Paris Conservatoire and won the second Prix de Rome in 1908 for her composition La Sirčne. Her contributions as a conductor included a revival of the madrigals of
Monteverdi, performing and recording them during the years between the wars. She also led the way in performing French Baroque and Rennaissance music.
Boulanger conducted a Royal Philharmonic Society concert in 1937, the first such performance by a woman. She was a widely respected teacher and held positions at the Ecole Normale, the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau, the Paris Conservatoire, Wellesley College, Radcliffe and the Juilliard School. Her teaching focused on the methods of counterpoint and musical analysis. Her impressive student list included
Copland,
Piston and Spisak. ~ Lynn Vought, All Music Guide
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