Featured Composer: Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Grammaté

Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Grammaté (1898-1974) is a Russian-born Canadian composer, pianist, and violinist. A largely self-taught composer, she is best known for her works for violin and solo piano - her Caprices and Piano Sonatas are amazing works for the advanced pianist, combining changing compositional trends such as neo-classicism, bitonality, jazz idioms, and serialism with her fascination and mastery of counterpoint.

She received her music education at the Conservatoire de Paris, including studies with Vincent d'Indy and Camille Chevillard. After living in both Berlin and Vienna, she eventually settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada where she established an important musical legacy that is continued to this day. She was the first Canadian composer to receive the Diplôme d'honneur from the Canadian Conference of the Arts, and received an honorary doctorate degree from Brandon University.

Her music is championed through both the Eckhardt-Grammaté Foundation and the Eckhardt-Grammaté National Music Competition, an annual competition in Brandon, MB dedicated to advancing new music.