Obscure Music Mondays

Hélène-Gabrielle Fleury-Roy (June 21, 1876 - April 18, 1957) was a French composer, pianist, and teacher, and the first woman ever to win a prize for the Prix de Rome composition competition. Continue reading →

Cécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade (Aug. 8, 1857 - April 13, 1944) was a French pianist and composer. Her first teacher was her mother, and she also took violin and compositions; sadly her father disapproved. Continue reading →

William Hayes (Jan. 26, 1708 - July 27, 1777) was an English composer, singer, organist, conductor and author. He spent  the majority of his time and musical efforts as an organist. Continue reading →

René de Castéra (April 3, 1873 - October 8, 1955) was a French composer, music publisher and critic as well. He studied at the Paris Conservatory, and was one of the first students at the Schola Cantorum, where he studied under Vincent d'Indy, and Isaac Albeniz. Continue reading →

Arthur Bird (July 23, 1856 - Dec. 22, 1923) was an American composer, pianist, organist, and violinist. His father was a musician, and Bird started studying music at an early age. He first performed in public as an organist in a church at age fifteen. Continue reading →

Antonio Rolla (April 18, 1798 - March 19, 1837) was born in Parma, Italy, and played violin, viola, and composer. He was considered a virtuoso on both instruments. Continue reading →

André Caplet (Nov. 23, 1878 - April 22, 1925) was a French composer and conductor. He was the youngest child of a poor family, and got in to music as a child. By the age of 12, he was working as a rehearsal pianist, and eventually entered the Paris Conservatory in 1896. He won the Prix de Rome in 1901 (on his first try!) Continue reading →

Oskar Merikanto (Aug. 5, 1868 - Feb. 17, 1924) was a Finnish composer, pianist and conductor. He showed musical talent at a young age, with noted skills on piano and organ. Continue reading →

Alexander Dargomyzhsky (Feb. 14, 1813 - Jan. 17, 1869) was a Russian composer, educated in St. Petersburg. He was a talented amateur musician, and in 1833 he met Mikhail Glinka, who helped motivate him to compose more. He would go on to be the bridge in Russian opera, beween Glinka  and Pyotr Tchaikovsky. He wrote several operas, but with little recognition until the 1860s, in Belgium. Continue reading →

Sophie Menter (July 29, 1846 - Feb. 23, 1918) was a German pianist and composer, born to musical parents. At the age of fifteen she soloed with an orchestra, and her concertizing after that took her all around Germany and Switzerland. Continue reading →