Genevieve Pitot (May 20, 1901 – October 4, 1980) was an American musician, composer, pianist and dancer.

Genevieve Pitot
BornMay 20, 1901
DiedOctober 4, 1980
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Composer
Musician
Dancer

Biography

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Pitot was born in New Orleans in 1901. One of her ancestors was James Pitot, the mayor of New Orleans. Pitot went to Paris to train as a classical pianist, studying with Alfred Cortot.[1] She later began working in musical theatre during the 1930s, when she played for classes led by choreographer Martha Graham. Pitot was best known for both arranging and composing the music for Hanya Holm, Jerome Robbins and Michael Kidd, and Broadway musical pieces including "Kiss Me, Kate", "Shangri La" and "Li'l Abner." She composed for Helen Tamiris, Agnes de Mille, Donald Saddler.[2][3][4][5][6]

 
Theatre poster of a composition by Pitot

Pitot married New Yorker Joseph P. Sullivan. She died in New Orleans in 1980. Her papers are kept in Tulane University.[2][3][7]

Sources

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  1. ^ Catalog of Music-rolls for the Duo-art Reproducing Piano. New York: Aeolian Company. 1924. p. 134.
  2. ^ a b "Pitot, Genevieve (c. 1920–)". www.encyclopedia.com. Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages.
  3. ^ a b "Genevieve Pitot collection, 1922-1980". archives.tulane.edu. Tulane University.
  4. ^ Reed, John Shelton (2013). "Bohemians and Shenanigans in the 1920s French Quarter". Southern Cultures. 19 (2): 32–51. ISSN 1068-8218. JSTOR 26217425.
  5. ^ Denuzière, Maurice (29 March 2006). Louisiane, tome 4: Les Trois-Chênes (in French). Fayard. ISBN 978-2-213-64100-3.
  6. ^ Anderson, Jack (19 June 1995). "DANCE REVIEW; Denver Ensemble Reaches Back For a Look at Black Themes". The New York Times.
  7. ^ Cianci, Giovanni; Patey, Caroline; Sullam, Sara (2010). Transits: The Nomadic Geographies of Anglo-American Modernism. Peter Lang. ISBN 978-3-03911-949-3.
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Genevieve Pitot Performs Original Piano Works (Digital album on bandcamp, released November 5, 2020)