Betsy Jolas (born August 5, 1926) is a French composer. Betsy Jolas was born in Paris. Resident in the United States from 1940 until 1946, she studied composition with Paul Boepple and piano with Helen Schnabel. On her return to France she continued her studies with Darius Milhaud and Olivier Messiaen at the Conservatoire national supérieur de Musique in Paris. She combined avant-gardism with a lyrical impulse, leading her to write much vocal music. Artists and groups who have performed her works include William Christie, Claude Helffer, Kim Kashkashian and Kent Nagano, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, the London Sinfonietta, and the Philharmonia Orchestra. Her works have been recorded on the EMI and Erato labels, amongst others.
Honours
- Grand prix national de la musique, 1974
- Grand prix de la ville de Paris, 1981
- Grand prix de la SACEM, 1982
- Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, 1985
- Prix international Maurice Ravel, 1992
- Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, 1997
