Nadia Boulanger

Course Description

Cited as “the most influential teacher since Socrates,” Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979) taught and nurtured generations of young musicians throughout her adult life. Amongrenowned American composers whom she mentored are Aaron Copland, Elliott Carter, Quincy Jones, and Philip Glass. Who was this extraordinary woman who witnessed two world wars and distinguished herself as a legendary pedagogue? What were her teaching methods? How did a Parisienne guide and shape the career trajectories of so many American composers and musicians? This class will explore these questions and many more. In addition to examining history and identifying Boulanger's impact on the current state of musical composition, our course will initiate an oral history project to capture the accounts of the last generation of musicians to work directly with Boulanger toward preserving her legacy. Prerequisite(s): Undergraduates need to have successfully completed 2 out of 3 following courses in order to register: PY.610.321[C], PY.610.322[C], PY.610.323[C].;Graduate students must meet musicology seminar proficiency requirements in order to enroll in this course.

Code

PY.610.610

Credits

3

Subject

Musicology