At The French Library Get Directions
About the Author
Sylvia Kahan is Professor of Music at the Graduate Center and College of Staten Island, CUNY, where she is a member of both the Piano and Musicology faculties. As a pianist, she has performed as concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician in all of New York’s major halls and in concerts venues throughout North America and Europe. As a musicologist, Sylvia Kahan specializes in late 19th-century and 20th-century French music and culture. She has written on women’s roles as music patrons, Proust and music, Nadia Boulanger, and 19th-century music criticism.
About the Book
The book served as the inspiration for a lecture and concert produced by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Praise
This biography by Sylvia Kahan is easy to read as an adventure story just as much as it is a sideways glance at over half a century's cultural history.– GRAMOPHONE
This is a book to be referred to again and again. . . an authoritative study that will give any interested reader an overview of a fascinating artistic epoch with a complex and intriguing survivor at its helm. Underneath the forbidding exterior, "Aunt Winnie" was a sensitive and selfless philanthropist, both acutely perceptive of genuine talent in others and wide-ranging in her patronage. These aspects shine clearly through the mine of detailed information in Sylvia Kahan's important new study.- TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
Sylvia Kahan draws an unflinching portrait both of a lost world . . . Winnaretta Singer-Polignac appears as an avant-garde figure in patronage, a major reference for how to work in a useful and lasting manner to support the creation and advancement of the arts, allowing humanity to progress.– RESMUSICA
Upcoming Events
(SOLD OUT) Wine Seminar - Liberté & Independence - A Transatlantic Wine Tasting
Gastronomy & Wine program: Your French Culinary Arts and Wine Journey
Whether you're a beginner or an expert, our series is tailored to provide a deeper understanding of French wines, refine your wine-tasting skills and vocabulary, and foster confidence in conversations, selections, and pairings. We will provide you with an authentic French perspective and access to a splendid array of quality wines.
Read More
Intimate Cooking Class with Chef Lamia: Moroccan Mezze & Market
GASTRONOMY & WINE PROGRAM: YOUR FRENCH CULINARY ARTS AND WINE JOURNEY
The French Library is delighted to present this cooking class from our Gastronomy & Wine program. Guided by excellence, this program is designed to educate you in the fine art of cooking and flavors.
Read MoreWine Seminar: The Best of French Summertime Wines
GASTRONOMY & WINE PROGRAM: YOUR FRENCH CULINARY ARTS AND WINE JOURNEY
An elegant wine education series exploring France’s most important regions through the lens of culture, tradition, and taste. Each class embraces a region and incorporates a book as a narrative guide - framing the wines, places, and people that shaped France’s enduring wine culture. Across the series, we’ll move through key French regions in a cohesive tasting journey, offering both seasoned enthusiasts and curious newcomers a deeper, more intuitive understanding of French wine, guided by storytelling, expert insight, and shared conversation.
Read More