Jolas, Betsy (1926–)

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Jolas, Betsy (1926–)

French-American composer. Born Elizabeth Jolas in Paris, France, Aug 5, 1926; dau. of Maria Jolas (publisher, editor, and journalist) and Eugene Jolas (who founded transition, an international literary review, with his wife); sister of Tina Jolas; studied at Bennington College with Karl Weinrich and Hélène Schnabel and at Paris Conservatoire with Darius Milhaud, Olivier Messiaen and Simone Plé Caussade; married a French physician, 1949; children: 3.

One of France's best-known composers, was educated in US and returned there at outbreak of WWII (1940); worked for French radio-tv network editing Ecouter Aujourd'hui, a leading musical periodical (1955–65); composition Quatuor II was premiered by Pierre Boulez; received French author and composer award (1961); received American Academy of Arts and Letters Award (1973); appointed professor of composition at Paris Conservatoire (1978), replacing Olivier Messiaen; composed numerous orchestral works and made many recordings of them.