Betsy Jolas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Betsy Jolas
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Betsy Jolas in 2006
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| Born | 5 August 1926 (age 99) Paris, France
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| Nationality | Franco-American |
| Occupation | Composer |
Betsy Jolas (born August 5, 1926) is a talented composer from both France and America. She writes many different kinds of music.
Contents
Life and Career of Betsy Jolas
Early Life and Family
Betsy Jolas was born in Paris, France, on August 5, 1926. Her mother, Maria McDonald, was an American translator who also studied singing. Betsy's father, Eugene Jolas, was a poet and journalist. Together, her parents started and edited a magazine called transition. This magazine was very important because it published many famous writers between World War I and World War II.
Moving to the United States
In late 1940, Betsy's family moved to the United States. She finished her general studies in New York. Then, she focused on music at Bennington College. While there, she joined the Dessoff Choirs. This is where she discovered Renaissance music, which is music from the 14th to 17th centuries. This type of music had a big impact on her own compositions later on.
Music Studies in Paris
After graduating from Bennington College, Jolas went back to Paris in 1946. She continued her music studies at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique. She learned from famous composers like Darius Milhaud and Olivier Messiaen. From 1971 to 1974, she worked as Messiaen's helper at the Conservatoire. In 1975, she became a teacher there herself.
Teaching and Recognition
Betsy Jolas has also taught music in the United States. She has taught at well-known universities like Yale, Harvard, and the University of California. She is a member of important groups like the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. These groups recognize top artists and thinkers.
Her Music and Performances
Betsy Jolas has been composing music since 1945. She has written many pieces for different groups of instruments and voices. Her music has been performed by famous artists and orchestras around the world. Some of these include the Berlin Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Personal Life
In 1949, Betsy Jolas married a doctor named Gabriel Illouz. They had three children together. She holds citizenship in both the United States and France.
Betsy Jolas's Musical Style
Betsy Jolas's music style is unique. She was greatly influenced by 16th-century European vocal music, especially the works of Orlando di Lasso. This music often had many voices singing different parts at the same time.
She loves to explore how voices and instruments can sound together. Her music often flows freely, without a strict beat like many traditional songs. While she liked some ideas from composers like Pierre Boulez, who used a technique called serialism, Betsy Jolas always kept her own independent style. She never fully adopted serialism in her work.
Major Musical Works
For a complete list of her compositions, you can visit List of compositions by Betsy Jolas.
Operas
- Le Pavillon au Bord de la Rivière (1975), a small opera
- Schliemann (1982–83), an opera in three parts
- Le Cyclope (1986), a short opera
Orchestral Music
- D'un opéra de voyage (1967) for a small orchestra
- Quatre Plages (1967) for string instruments
- Well Met (1973) for string instruments
- Tales of a summer sea (1977) for a full orchestra
- B Day (2006) for a symphony orchestra
- A Little Summer Suite (2015)
- Les Belles Années (The Good Years) (2023), a piece for the London Symphony Orchestra
Solo Works with Orchestra
- Points D'Aube (1968) for viola and other instruments
- Musique d'hiver (1971) for organ and a small orchestra
- Stances (1978) for piano and orchestra
- Histoires vraies (2015) a double concerto for trumpet and piano
- Side Roads (2017) for cello and string orchestra
- b Tunes for Nicolas (2021) a piano concerto for Nicolas Hodges and the BBC Symphony Orchestra
Works for Large Ensembles
- Figures (1965) for nine instruments
- J.D.E. (1966) for 14 musicians
- Sonate à 8 (1998) for eight cellos
Chamber Music
- Quartets Nos. 1–6 (1956–1997)
- O Wall (1976) for five wind instruments
- Quatuor VII (Afterthoughts) (2018) for trumpet, violin, viola, and cello
- Episode No. 1–9 (1964–1990) for various solo instruments
- B for Sonata (1973) for piano
- Femme le soir (2018) for cello and piano
Chorus Music
- Mass (1945) for choir, solo singers, and orchestra
- Motet I–IV (1947–2002) for different voices, choir, and instruments
- Enfantillages (1956) for women's or children's choir
- Autres enfantillages (2000) for children's or women's choir
Vocal Music
- Mots (1963) for soprano voice and instruments
- Quartet No. 2 (1964) for soprano and string trio
- Liring Ballade (1980) for baritone voice and orchestra
Honors and Awards
Betsy Jolas has received many important awards for her contributions to music:
- Officer of the Legion of Honor (2006) - A high French award.
- Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros (2015) - For all her musical works.
- Officer of the Order of Merit (2003)
- Berlin Prize (2000)
- Commander of Arts and Letters (1985)
- Prix International Maurice Ravel (1992)
- Grand Prix de la SACEM (1982)
- Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris (1981)
- Prix National de la Musique (1974)
- Koussevitzky Prize (1974)
- Copley Foundation award (1954)
See also
In Spanish: Betsy Jolas para niños
