Maria Roger-Miclos

Maria Roger-Miclos (1 May 1860, Toulouse — 19 May 1951, Paris) was a prolific French pianist and music educator; several notable composers commissioned original works for her, including Africa, Op. 89 fantasia by Camille Saint-Saëns. In September 1905, Roger-Miclos made a series of gramophone 78 RPM records for the Italian label Fonotipia. She taught at the Paris Conservatory for many years and was one of the first female professors when Marie joined the faculty. Name variations: Aimée-Marie Roger-Miclos, Marie Roger-Miclos, Mme. Roger-Miclos-Battaille. Marie-Aimée grew up in Southern France, educated at the Conservatoire de Toulouse in her hometown and later at the Conservatoire de Paris, where she studied with Louise Aglaé Massart (1827—1887) and Henri Herz. In 1890, Roger-Miclos debuted as a concert pianist in London, touring extensively across England, France, and German-speaking countries between 1893 and 1897. Maria traveled overseas in 1902 for the complete season of solo recitals in the United States and Canada. She endorsed Pleyel et Cie pianos, sponsored at some point by Auguste Wolff (1821—1887), a successor of Camille Pleyel (1788—1855), the son of the company's founder, Ignaz Pleyel (1757—1831). Besides her broad virtuoso repertoire by Mendelssohn, Liszt, and Chopin, Marie-Aimée had several compositions dedicated to her, including "À l'aventure: Chanson pour piano," Op. 65, by Joseph O'Kelly (1828—1885), who worked for Wolff at Pleyel, and most notably, Africa concertante fantasia written by Saint-Saëns during his stay in Egypt and premiered by Roger-Miclos in October 1891 at Concerts du Châtelet in Paris under Édouard Colonne's baton.