Louise Talma

**Louise Talma** was a groundbreaking American composer and pianist who left a lasting mark on 20th-century classical music. Born in France in 1906, she moved to New York as a child and later studied at the Institute of Musical Art (now Juilliard) and with the legendary pedagogue Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Talma became a trailblazer—she was the first American woman to have an opera staged by a major European company (*The Alcestiad*, with a libretto by Thornton Wilder) and the first woman to win two back-to-back Guggenheim Fellowships. Her music evolved from neoclassical styles to embrace serialism, blending intellectual rigor with emotional depth. A devoted educator, she taught at Hunter College for nearly 40 years. Recent releases like *Alleluia in Form of Toccata* and *Ambient Air* showcase her vibrant piano works and inventive chamber pieces, proving her legacy as a fearless innovator. Talma passed away in 1996, but her music still sparkles with originality.

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