Lila Lalauni

Lila Lalauni was born on 9 June 1918 in Athens and was the daughter of music critic Alexandra Lalauni (1894–1974) and musician Alexandros Xanthopoulou.^[1][2] She was the granddaughter of composer Timotheos Xanthopoulos (c. 1864–1942). She expressed a talent for music at an early age and became a piano child prodigy.^[2][3] From the age of six, she began studying piano in Vienna. Three years later, aged nine, Lalauni performed as a soloist with the Vienna Symphony orchestra as well as performing with the Athens Conservatory Symphony orchestra aged twelve.^[1] From 1927 to 1930 she studied piano at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and then afterwards studied composition under Robert Konta, before graduating from the academy in 1934.^[3] Afterwards, Lalauni travelled to Paris where she was taught to play the organ by Marcel Dupré. She was also taught by the composer Karl Weigl and the pianist Artur Schnabel.^[1]

Lalauni made her debut as a concert pianist in Vienna in around 1930. In 1934, she performed Richard Strauss's Burleske alongside Strauss himself, who was impressed by her performance.^[1][3] Lalauni was the first to teach Manolis Kalomiris' Symphonic Concerto for orchestra and piano.^[1]

She frequently collaborated with the Athens State Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony and Vienna Philharmonic orchestras, while also performing frequently in Greece and on radio and television stations throughout Europe.^[1]

Lalauni served as a hand double for Simone Signoret in the film Shadow and Light in scenes where Signoret played the piano.^[1]