Germaine Tailleferre

1892 - 1983

French

Summary

Biography

Born in Paris on April 19th 1892, French composer Germaine Tailleferre began her studies at the Paris Conservatory in 1904, despite her father’s opposition and her equal ability in art. She studied primarily with Eva Sautereau-Meyer. She was a pianistic prodigy with a phenomenal memory for music which led to her winning many prizes. In 1913, she met Auris, Honegger and Milhaud whilst studying in Georges Caussade’s counterpoint class. Eric Satie was so impressed by her 1917 work Jeux de plein air for two pianos that he described her as his ‘musical daughter’, and through this relationship, Tailleferre’s reputation was substantially advanced. When Les Six was formed in 1919-20, she became its only female member. Her abilities at the harpsichord and affinity for the styles of music originally composed for the instrument stood her in excellent stead as the neo-classicism of Stravinsky began to grow in popularity, though her works retained an influence of Fauré and Ravel. 

Unfortunately, Tailleferre’s circumstances in through much of the rest of her life meant that she never gained much of the same acclaim as the other members of Les Six. After two very unhappy marriages, she found her creative energies drained and due to financial issues was almost unable to compose if not for commission, leading to many uneven and quickly composed works. Moreover, her lack of self-esteem and sense of modesty held her back from publicising herself to a fuller extent. In spite of this, some of concerti of the 1930s saw some success and she was often approached to compose for film. Throughout her career she continued to compose music for children which some writers have suggested helped to retain the spontaneity, freshness and charm that characterises her finest works.

Performances

20th June 2023

SOLOISTS
Felix Elliott
PERFORMERS
Girton College Orchestra
CONDUCTOR
Emily Clare-Hunt
LOCATION
Girton College, Cambridge, United Kingdom

25th June 2023

SOLOISTS
Aisha Palmer
PERFORMERS
Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR
Graham Jones
LOCATION
St. Saviour's Church, Eastbourne, United Kingdom

8th July 2023

PERFORMERS
National women's Music Festivbal Orchestra Ensemble
CONDUCTOR
Nan Harrison Washburn
LOCATION
Madison West Marriott Conference Center, Middleton , WI, United States of America

4th May 2024

PERFORMERS
Chamber Orchestra of the Springs
CONDUCTOR
Thomas Wilson
LOCATION
Broadmoor Community Church, Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

5th May 2024

PERFORMERS
Chamber Orchestra of the Springs
CONDUCTOR
Thomas Wilson
LOCATION
First Christian Church, Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Photos