{"id":5906,"date":"2026-02-17T17:42:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T16:42:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mugi.lu\/subject\/musikerinnen-im-ns-musikschulwerk-der-stadt-luxemburg-2\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T17:54:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T15:54:28","slug":"music-school","status":"publish","type":"composer","link":"https:\/\/mugi.lu\/en\/subject\/music-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Luxembourg\u2019s first Municipal Music School"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Luxembourg\u2019s first Municipal Music School<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Formal music education for women was a controversial topic in the 1820s. Following the French example, Henri-Joseph Corn\u00e9ly (1786\u20131866) founded the first private music school in Luxembourg in 1823. Corn\u00e9ly became the first director of the Municipal Music School, founded in 1845, which was likewise shaped by the French model. With the establishment of music schools and conservatories, women too gained access to affordable music education. Already in its first year of existence, the Municipal Music School had more girls than boys attend the solf\u00e8ge classes. Since piano instruction was part of middle and upper-class female education, there was a strong demand for female piano teachers \u2013 a profession that offered women from poorer backgrounds an opportunity to earn their own living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1849, the Municipal Music School was elevated to the rank of a \u201cMusic Conservatory\u201d, and in 1852, a wind instrument class was added \u2013 though only for boys. For financial reasons, the institution was downgraded back to a simple \u201cMusic School\u201d in 1856. Due to internal conflicts, public controversies and a court case (see Roster 2026 in the appendix), the municipal council ultimately decided to close the institution in 1882. It was only in 1906 that the present-day Conservatory opened its doors, thanks to a foundation by Eug\u00e9nie Pescatore-Dutreux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 1850 and 1882, a total of 13 women worked at the Luxembourg Music School, mostly as lower-paid piano \u201cr\u00e9p\u00e9titrices\u201d (tutors). One of the best-known music teachers in Luxembourg City, who also offered private lessons, was the composer Jos\u00e9phine Schmoll (1836\u20131925), whose scores are presented here. New recordings of her work, commissioned by MuGi.lu, can be heard in the MUSIC gallery. It was not until 1880 that a woman, the singer Pauline Christmann (1848\u20131910), was appointed as a full \u201cprofessor\u201d for the first time. The court case mentioned above concerns precisely this musician, who was to become a women\u2019s rights advocate. Other women also spoke up for themselves: surviving documents include applications, complaints about remuneration or denied positions, and petitions concerning pension entitlements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her article (see appendix), Danielle Roster highlights the remarkable abundance of available sources: around 85 file folders held by the Luxembourg Municipal Archives, supplemented by the Bulletins Communaux<\/em>, newspaper articles, advertisements and private letters. This wealth of material is presented in several thematic \u201cgalleries\u201d (including Scores, Music, Letters, Employer, Economy, Graduation and Reviews), which reveal the achievements of individual women musicians \u2013 such as the composer Jos\u00e9phine Schmoll or the violinists Augustine Steinhardt and Marguerite Lassence. Two further appendices contain lists, compiled by Kenza Kiwy, of the female students and teachers at Luxembourg\u2019s first Municipal Music School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The portal presents a multifaceted picture of early public music education, which for the first time enabled girls and women to pursue professional musical careers despite significant structural disadvantages \u2013 and at the same time provides a treasure trove of previously little-known women\u2019s biographies of nineteenth-century Luxembourg music history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luxemburgs erste kommunale Musikschule_Danielle Roster<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appendix A : List of female students 1854-1882_Kenza Kiwy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appendix B : List of female teachers 1854-1882_Kenza Kiwy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Text, selection of sources and curation of the webpage: Danielle Roster
Creation of the digital archive on the portal: Danielle Roster and Kenza Kiwy
Online publication: Anne Schiltz<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The portal \u201cLuxembourg\u2019s first Municipal Music School\u201d was developed as part of the research and outreach project Klangbilder der Stadt Luxemburg<\/em>, supported by the City of Luxembourg. <\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t