Many, many thanks to Quincy Jones for taking the time to share his love for Madame Boulanger!
I’ll never forget living in France and having the opportunity to study under the tutelage of my dear music teacher, Nadia Boulanger…She broke gender barriers everywhere she went and became the first woman to conduct London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. She was also the first woman to lead the New York Philharmonic, in addition to orchestras in Boston and Philadelphia. But man, this only scratched the surface of what she’s done…she worked alongside Stravinsky and was the teacher for many musical greats such as Aaron Copland, Thea Musgrave, and so many more. She would always tell me that “a person’s music can never be more or less than they are as a human being,” and these words have stuck with me ever since. Her lessons in music and life run around in my mind so much their legs must be tired!! It absolutely makes my soul smile to know that the first-ever album devoted to Madame Boulanger’s compositions (with previously unknown selections) has just been released on Delos!! I’m sure you’ll learn just as much from her music as I did from her teaching…And I also can’t think of a better day to celebrate the work of such an amazing woman! ((:0)) —Quincy Jones
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