‘‘It is difficult to reconcile the domestic life with the artistic. A woman should choose one or the other’ - Cécile Chaminade.
Cécile Chaminade was a French composer and pianist. She was a prolific composer, producing over 400 works in her lifetime, including piano pieces, songs, and chamber music.
Chaminade was a child prodigy and began composing at a young age. She studied at the Paris Conservatory and quickly gained recognition for her talent. Her music is known for its lightness and charm, with a focus on melody and virtuosic piano writing.
Despite her success as a composer, Chaminade faced many challenges as a woman in the male- dominated music world of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nevertheless, she remained dedicated to her craft and continued to compose and perform throughout her life. Chaminade was relegated to obscurity for the second half of the 20th century, her piano pieces and songs mostly forgotten, with the exception being the Flute Concertino in D major, Op. 107, composed for the 1902 Paris Conservatoire Concours; it is her most popular piece today.
Today, Chaminade's music is celebrated for its beauty and charm, and she is remembered as one of the most important female composers of her time.
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Piano 1 - Prof. Catherine Foxcroft
Piano 2 - Garreth Robertson
