Video Interview, Héloïse Luzzati on La Boîte à Pépites

The brainchild of French cellist Héloïse Luzzati, La Boîte à Pépites ('The Jewel Box') is a new independent label dedicated to amplifying the music of women composers who enjoyed considerable success during their lifetimes but whose works virtually vanished from the repertoire almost immediately after their deaths. The project hit the ground running at the end of last month with a 3-disc collection dedicated to the vocal and chamber music of Parisian composer Charlotte Sohy (1887-1955), and anthologies celebrating the work of Rita Strohl, Liza Lehmann, Adela Maddison and Alice Mary Smith (thought to have been the first British woman to compose a full-scale symphony) are already in the works for 2023/24.

Amid the launch-events which took place over the last fortnight, Héloïse kindly spared the time to tell us a little bit more on camera about the label's genesis and the work involved in bringing these compositions back into the spotlight, the personal life and career of Sohy, why the initial wave of interest in her music wasn't sustained beyond her own lifetime, and her immediate plans for the label's future (including a digital advent-calendar which you'll be able to follow on their YouTube channel from December 1st...).