French composer (1893–1918), Lili Boulanger was the first woman to win the Prix de Rome in 1913. Despite a brief life, she left a remarkable body of work marked by a personal and expressive harmonic language.
Lili Boulanger(1893 — 1918)
Lili Boulanger
France
7 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- 1893: born in Paris into a family of musicians (sister of Nadia Boulanger)
- 1913: first woman to win the Prix de Rome, with the cantata Faust et Hélène
- Composed despite fragile health, her output includes songs, piano pieces, and choral music
- 1918: died at age 24 from intestinal tuberculosis, leaving an unfinished body of work
Works & Achievements
Cantata for solo voices, choir, and orchestra, composed for the Prix de Rome competition. It earned Lili Boulanger the distinction of being the first woman to win this prestigious prize, in 1913.
A choral and orchestral work of great dramatic intensity, inspired by the penitential psalm. It is considered one of her most ambitious and deeply personal compositions.
A cycle of thirteen songs for voice and piano set to poems by Francis Jammes. The work showcases the refinement of her vocal writing and her poetic sensitivity.
A luminous and light-hearted piece for violin (or flute) and piano, one of her last completed compositions. Its clarity stands in contrast to the melancholic introspection of *D'un soir triste*.
A deeply expressive piece for cello (or violin) and piano, composed in her final years and reflecting the gravity and inwardness of her life.
A song for tenor and orchestra set to a text translated from Sanskrit, bearing witness to Lili Boulanger's openness to Eastern spirituality and the diversity of her sources of inspiration.
Her final composition, dictated to her sister Nadia, for voice, string quartet, organ, and harp. A testamentary work of heartbreaking beauty, completed just a few weeks before her death.
Anecdotes
At only two years old, Lili Boulanger contracted a serious intestinal infection that would weaken her health for the rest of her life. Despite this chronic illness, she began studying solfège and violin from the age of four, astonishing Gabriel Fauré and the musicians who visited the family home with the precocity of her musical ear.
In 1913, Lili Boulanger entered the Prix de Rome, the most prestigious competition in France for young composers. She won the first Grand Prix with her cantata 'Faust et Hélène', becoming the first woman in history to claim this distinction. The jury was stunned by the maturity and individuality of her musical voice.
During the First World War, Lili Boulanger and her sister Nadia established a Franco-American committee dedicated to sending scores and instruments to musicians serving at the front. From her sickbed, she corresponded with them regularly, striving to keep a living connection between the soldiers and culture in a time of war.
In the final months of her life, Lili Boulanger was so weakened she could no longer hold a pencil. She dictated her compositions to her sister Nadia, who transcribed them faithfully. This is how her final work came into being — the 'Pie Jesu', of heartbreaking beauty, completed just a few weeks before her death in March 1918.
Lili Boulanger died at twenty-four, leaving behind around fifty works. Her sister Nadia, profoundly shaped by this loss, gave up composing to devote herself entirely to teaching and championing Lili's music. She would go on to become one of the greatest music educators of the twentieth century, training generations of composers from around the world.
Primary Sources
“I work as much as my health allows, and I have so many things to say through music… I want to finish what I have started.”
“Mademoiselle Boulanger’s cantata reveals a confident musical personality, a mastery of harmony, and an expressive sensitivity remarkable for her age.”
Manuscript of the cantata awarded the Prix de Rome, attesting to her personal harmonic writing, her dramatic sensibility, and the quality of her training at the Conservatoire.
“I am sending you the corrections for the 'Vieille prière bouddhique'. I wanted this piece to be published exactly as I conceived it.”
Key Places
It was in the family's Parisian apartment that Lili Boulanger grew up, surrounded by music and musicians, and where she began her early musical education.
The institution where Lili Boulanger formally studied composition, harmony, and counterpoint from 1909 onward, under the direction of Gabriel Fauré. There she prepared for and won the Prix de Rome.
Home of the Académie de France in Rome and the prestigious residence awarded to Prix de Rome laureates. Lili stayed there in 1913–1914, before her failing health forced her to return to France.
The Boulanger family estate where Lili spent long periods resting and composing. It was here that she passed away on 15 March 1918, surrounded by her family.
The resting place of Lili Boulanger since 1918. Her grave is a site of remembrance for music lovers and musicologists who continue to champion her work.
Typical Objects
The central instrument in Lili Boulanger's life, on which she composed and accompanied herself from a very young age. Even when bedridden, she had a piano placed within reach so she could continue working.
The ruled sheets on which Lili notated her compositions. In her final months, unable to hold a pencil, she dictated her works to her sister Nadia, who faithfully transcribed them.
The symbolic award she received in 1913, which officially consecrated her genius and opened the doors of the Villa Medici in Rome, where she was invited to reside and compose.
The works of Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy, and César Franck that she studied and drew inspiration from, while gradually developing a harmonic language entirely her own.
Lili underwent continuous treatment for her chronic intestinal illness. These medical constraints were an integral part of her daily life from childhood onward, shaping the rhythm of her days.
Letters and cards exchanged with her sister Nadia, musician friends, and publishers. Correspondence was the primary link between Lili — often confined to her home — and the outside world.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Daily Life
Morning
Lili Boulanger often wakes late due to her chronic weakness. Her mornings are devoted to reading scores and musical exercises when her health allows. Her sister Nadia is usually at her side, ready to jot down her musical ideas or read aloud to her.
Afternoon
The afternoon is the most productive time for composition. Settled at her piano or, on bad days, in an armchair or lying in bed, she works on her pieces. Musician friends and colleagues from the Conservatoire sometimes visit, bringing news and musical conversation.
Evening
Evenings are quieter, given over to correspondence, reading, or listening to music. During the rare periods of remission, Lili can attend Parisian concerts. The Boulanger family, very close-knit, often shares these moments in music or conversation.
Food
Because of her chronic intestinal disease, Lili Boulanger follows a very strict and limited diet. The doctors of the time prescribe broths, lean meats, and easily digestible starches. Meals are more of a daily medical constraint than a moment of pleasure.
Clothing
Lili wears the typical dress of the Parisian bourgeoisie of the early twentieth century: long high-waisted gowns, embroidered blouses, fine lace collars. Her fragile condition often requires softer, more comfortable clothing for days spent bedridden or resting in her room.
Housing
The Boulanger family lives in a bourgeois Parisian apartment, surrounded by musical instruments and scores. In summer and during periods of convalescence, they retreat to their property in Mézy-sur-Seine, in Seine-et-Oise, where the country air is believed to aid Lili's recovery.
