What makes a teacher truly great? That varies by the student, of course, but Nadia Boulanger (September 16, 1887–October 22, 1970) seemed to have a pretty good grasp of it. She trained hundreds of world-class musicians and composers, some of them going on to famed careers.
Strangely, she didn't start out as a music lover! In fact, she hated music until age 5. It absolutely terrified her! After her sister was born, though, her thoughts on the subject changed almost immediately. She trained constantly and entered the French Conservatoire at age 9. Working even harder, she became a great pianist and composer... but her real love was teaching.
Boulanger's true greatness arose from brilliance, kindness, and her eclectic styles and interests. Her lessons passed her passion on to hundreds. Look at some of the names below to find out just how influential she was to these students... and think of what an influence they have on us!
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