Born in Brussels, May 16, 1879
Died in London, Jan 28, 1932
- Poldowski was the daughter of violinist and composer Henryk Wieniawski, though he died when Poldowski was only 10 months old.
- Interesting fact: Poldowski was the only one of Wieniawski’s seven children to go into music professionally.
- Poldowski was an intentionally genderless pseudonym the composer used to publish her works. She was known by many names during her lifetime: Régine Wieniawski, Irène Wieniawska, and Lady Dean Paul.
- Although she was born in Brussels, Poldowski spent most of her life in England. Her mother was English, and Poldowski married Sir Aubrey Dean Paul in 1901, later becoming a naturalized British citizen.
- Fun fact: Poldowski and Paul were introduced by famous opera singer Dame Nellie Melba.
- Rabbit hole: here’s an interesting article about the love story that was Poldowski’s parents.
- As a composer, Poldowski began performing her own works while still a teenager. She became most famous for her art songs. She also wrote works for orchestra and chamber ensemble. French artists were a primary source of inspiration for her (most of her songs use French poetry).1
- Additional fun fact: Poldowski developed a love of fashion and opened a clothing boutique where she designed some of the pieces herself.2
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Biography via Interlude
Sources
- David Mooney, “Poldowski,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed September 2, 2026, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000045481.
- Natasha Loges, “Régine Poldowski: Biography,” Oxford International Song Festival (2026), accessed September 2, 2026, https://oxfordsong.org/composer/r%C3%A9gine-poldowski-1879-1932.