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Composer  

Period

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Romantic

 

Blanche Selva was a French classical music composer and pianist who was born on April 9, 1884, in the city of Perpignan, France. She was the daughter of a music teacher and grew up in a family that was passionate about music. Her father, Joseph Selva, was a violinist and her mother, Marie-Louise, was a pianist. Blanche Selva showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at the age of four. Blanche Selva's musical education began at home, where she received piano lessons from her mother. She later studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, where she was a student of Louis Diémer and Isidor Philipp. She won several prizes at the conservatory, including the first prize in piano in 1904. She also studied composition with Charles-Marie Widor and Vincent d'Indy. Blanche Selva began her career as a concert pianist in 1905, when she made her debut at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. She quickly gained a reputation as a virtuoso pianist and performed extensively throughout Europe. She was particularly known for her interpretations of the works of Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt. In addition to her career as a pianist, Blanche Selva was also a composer. She wrote music for piano, chamber ensembles, and orchestra. Her compositions were influenced by the French impressionist style and were characterized by their lyrical melodies and rich harmonies. One of Blanche Selva's most famous compositions is her Piano Sonata in C minor, which she wrote in 1911. The sonata is a four-movement work that showcases Selva's virtuosity as a pianist and her skill as a composer. The sonata was well-received by critics and helped establish Selva as a composer of note. Blanche Selva was also known for her work as a music educator. She taught piano at the Conservatoire de Paris from 1920 to 1944 and was a highly respected teacher. Her students included the pianists Yvonne Lefébure and Marcelle Meyer. During World War II, Blanche Selva was active in the French Resistance. She used her position as a music teacher to help smuggle Jewish children out of France and into Switzerland. She was arrested by the Gestapo in 1944 and was imprisoned in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. She was released in 1945 and returned to Paris, where she resumed her career as a pianist and composer. Blanche Selva continued to perform and compose music until her death on April 22, 1942, in Paris. She left behind a legacy as a virtuoso pianist, composer, and music educator. Her compositions continue to be performed and recorded today, and her influence on French classical music is still felt.

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