France Marguerite Ellegaard (10 October 1913 – 17 April 1999) was a Finnish pianist and music educator, born in France to Danish parents. She was considered one of the 20th century's great concert pianists. The daughter of cyclist

Thorvald Ellegaard Thorvald Ellegaard (7 March 1877 - 27 April 1954) was a leading Danish track cycling, track racing cycle sport, cyclist in the 1900s and 1910s. He won the world professional sprint (cycling), sprint title six times, three European titles, and 24 ...

and Karen Kirstine Nicolaysen, she was born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. Ellegaard studied at the

Paris Conservatory The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

and gave her first Danish performance in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

in 1927. She performed throughout Scandinavia and in the music capitals of Europe. Following the

German invasion of Denmark The German invasion of Denmark (german: Operation Weserübung – Süd), was the German attack on Denmark on 9 April 1940, during the Second World War. The attack was a prelude to the invasion of Norway (german: Weserübung Nord, 9 April – 10 ...

in 1940, she remained in Denmark and then, in 1943, went to Sweden as a political refugee. She married Finnish painter

Birger Carlstedt John Birger Jarl Carlstedt (12 July 1907 in Helsinki – 3 October 1975 in Helsinki) was a Finnish painter and a pioneer of Modern Art in Finland. His painting style went through various changes, with influences from Impressionism, Expressionism, ...

in 1949 and became a Finnish citizen. From 1961 to 1965, she performed in a trio with

Anja Ignatius Anja Ignatius (July 2, 1911 – April 10, 1995) was a Finland, Finnish violinist and music educator, mainly known as a chamber musician. She was born in Tampere, began studying violin at the age of five and gave her first concert at the age of ...

and . Ellegaard received a medal from the French in 1933. She received the Danish

Tagea Brandt Rejselegat The Tagea Brandts ''Rejselegat'' (Travel Scholarship) is a Danish award to women who have made a significant contribution in science, literature or art. The grant, which is given without application, was created and endowed by Danish industrialist ...

(travel scholarship) in 1936. From 1969 to 1975, Ellegaard taught piano at the

Sibelius Academy The Sibelius Academy ( fi, Taideyliopiston Sibelius-Akatemia, sv, Sibelius-Akademin vid Konstuniversitetet) is part of the University of the Arts Helsinki and a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It als ...

. She died at

Espoo Espoo (, ; sv, Esbo) is a city and municipality in the region of Uusimaa in the Republic of Finland. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordering the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, Kirkkonummi, Vihti and Nurmijärvi ...

in Finland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellegaard, France 1913 births 1999 deaths Danish classical pianists Danish women pianists Finnish classical pianists Finnish women pianists Finnish music educators Finnish women music educators Finnish people of Danish descent 20th-century classical pianists Danish music educators Danish women music educators Women classical pianists Danish expatriates in Sweden Danish emigrants Immigrants to Finland Naturalized citizens of Finland Danish expatriates in France 20th-century women pianists