Landowska, Wanda Luiza (1877-1959)

Polish harpsichordist and scholar. She founded a school near Paris, France, for the study of early music, and was for many years one of the few artists regularly performing on the harpsichord. In 1941 she moved to the USA.

She toured widely and settled in France, where in 1927 she opened a school for the study of early music at Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, near Paris. She wrote books and articles on aspects of early music. Falla's harpsichord concerto (1923-26) and Poulenc's Concert Champêtre (1927-28) were composed for her. In 1933 she gave the first public performance of Bach's Goldberg Variations and recorded Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier 1949-56.