About
Professor Caroline Rae at Cardiff University is a leading scholar in 20th-century French music, with a focus on composers like Debussy, Messiaen, Jolivet, and Boulez. She also specializes in the musical writings of Alejo Carpentier and Franco-Latin American cultural interactions. Her research combines archival studies, performance practice, and pianism.
- Education: DPhil (Oxford), MA (Oxon), Dipl. Mus (Hanover), ARCM
Her research projects include monographs on André Jolivet and Debussy’s Préludes, supported by the British Academy and AHRC. Recent publications span books on Carpentier, Debussy, and Stravinsky’s reception in France. As Co-Director of CFMR, she has organized international symposia with institutions like the Institut Français and Paul Sacher Foundation.
Scientific awards include the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2018), Cardiff University Research Fellowship (2018-2019), and a French Government Scholarship (1982-1983). She has served on juries for the BBC Young Musician Competition and Wales International Piano Competition.
As a pianist, she studied under Dame Fanny Waterman, Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen, and Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, and performs lecture-recitals linking her research. She has advised orchestras like the Philharmonia Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales on festival programming.
