Jeanne Leleu

Jeanne Leleu (29 December 1898 – 11 March 1979) was a French pianist and composer. She was born in Saint-Mihiel in northeastern France; her father was a bandmaster and her mother a piano teacher.^[1] She entered the Conservatoire de Paris at the age of nine, where she studied with Marguerite Long, Georges Caussade, Alfred Cortot and Charles-Marie Widor. With Geneviève Durony, Leleu gave the premiere performance of Ravel's Ma mère l'oye in 1910.^[2] Ravel had composed his Prelude for a Paris Conservatoire sight-reading competition in 1913 and Leleu won the prize.

Jeanne Leleu

Her cantata Beatrix won the Prix de Rome in 1923.^[3] (She was only the third woman to win this premier Grand Prize after Lili Boulanger and Marguerite Canal.)^[4] She went on to win two other prizes: Georges Bizet and Monbinne.^[1]

In 1924 she took a position at the French Academy in Rome in the Villa Medici, staying there for three years before returning to Paris.

After completing her studies, Leleu took a position as professor of sight reading at the Conservatoire and, in 1947, she was named professor of harmony. She died in Paris at 80 years of age.^[5][6]

Works

Leleu was known for symphonic and piano works and ballets. Her printed compositions were published in Paris.^[1] Selected works include:^[1][4]

• Quatuor pour piano et cordes (1922)
• Beatrix, cantata (1923) (Winner of the Grand Prize of Rome)
• Esquisses italiennes (1926)
• Suite symphonique (1926)
• Deux danses, (1927)
• Le Cyclope d'Euridipe (1928)
• Transparences, symphony (1931)
• Concerto pour piano (1935)
• Un jour d'été, ballet (1940)
• Nantéos, ballet (1947)
• Femmes, suite (1947)
• Virevoltes, suite (1950)