How does a composer disappear from history? And what does it take to bring her back?

French composer Charlotte Sohy (1887-1955) was the daughter of an industrialist. Her early teachers included a pupil (and relation) of Cesar Franck whilst in 1903, her parents installed a Cavaillé‑Coll organ in the living room! Her later teachers included Alexandre Guilmant, Louis Vierne, and Vincent d'Indy, and she studied with and was friends with Nadia Boulanger and Mel Bonis.

Sohy wrote masses, art songs, piano pieces, trios, string quartets, a symphony and the lyrical drama L'Esclave couronnée, and her work was performed by Paul Dukas, Maurice Ravel, and Gabriel Fauré.

So, why haven't we heard her music?

An evening at the Maison Française d'Oxford on 23 October 2026 aims to change that. The Rediscovery of Charlotte Sohy. An evening of film, music & conversation asks the question 'How does a composer disappear from history? And what does it take to bring her back?'

The evening is curated by pianist Reiko Fujisawa and will feature the UK premiere of new documentaryCharlotte Sohy: la consécration d'une compositrice; a live Q&A between documentary makers Matthias Weber (Weber is Sohy's great-grandson) and Laurence Uebersfeld, and music writer Peter Quantrill; and the evening culminates with a performance of Sohy's enchanting Petite Suite and her richly expressive Piano Trio Op. 24, performed by Gina McCormack (violin), Adrian Bradbury (cello) and Reiko Fujisawa (piano).

Full details from the Maison Française d'Oxford's website.