Nadia Boulanger was a French composer and conductor who came from a musical family. She studied at the Conservatoire de Paris and earned early honors as a student. Although she initially composed music, she later stopped writing because she felt she did not have a strong talent for it. Instead, she focused on teaching music, which became a major part of her life and career. As a teacher, Boulanger influenced many well-known composers and musicians during the 20th century. She taught students from the United States and English-speaking countries. Some of her students were famous composers and musicians like Aaron Copland, Philip Glass, and Daniel Barenboim. She helped train a wide range of artists, including soloists, arrangers, and conductors. Boulanger worked at music schools in the U.S. and England, such as the Juilliard School and the Royal College of Music. However, she spent most of her teaching career at her family's home in Paris. She taught there for about seventy years until she passed away at the age of 92. She was also a pioneer as a female conductor, leading major orchestras in America and Europe. Boulanger was the first woman to conduct groups like the Boston Symphony and the BBC Symphony. She led the first performances of new works by composers such as Copland and Stravinsky.