Germaine Tailleferre

Germaine Tailleferre (1892–1983) was a French composer and the only female member of Les Six, the celebrated group of Parisian composers that also included Poulenc, Milhaud, and Honegger. She excelled at the Paris Conservatory, winning top prizes in harmony, counterpoint, and accompaniment, and studied with Maurice Ravel, who strongly influenced her early neoclassical style.

Her catalogue spans orchestral and chamber music, concertos, ballets commissioned by Diaghilev, operas, and film scores. Notable works include her Piano Concerto, the Harp Concertino, Jeux de plein air for two pianos, and La cantate de Narcisse. Modest by nature and tirelessly productive, she composed until weeks before her death at 91, leaving a body of work marked by elegance, wit, and a freshness that belies its depth.