Claudette Sorel

Claudette Sorel (10 October 1932 – 6 August 1999) was a French-American pianist and educator. She was an advocate of equal rights for women in the arts, and especially equal rights for women whose aspirations were to become pianists.

Early life and education Sorel was born in Paris, France, on 10 October 1932. She emigrated to the United States with her family in 1940 prior to the Nazi invasion of France. At age 10 she received a scholarship to study at the Juilliard School, and at age 11 she debuted on the concert recital stage, performing with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Sorel founded the Sorel Organization in 1996, dedicated to the memory of her parents; this organization promotes women in music. She was an advocate for women in the arts, publishing an article in Music Journal in 1968 advocating equal opportunities for women pianists.

Sorel died of cancer in Hampton Bays, New York, on 6 August 1999.