Eugénie Rocherolle
True Star
Eugénie’s voice was emblematic of her: mezzo range, clear, expressive, with a Southern soupçon. That sound is the first of many memories that bubbled up upon learning of her death, on March 4, 2025.
Eugénie was a star in several realms: most important, to her family, every member of which she cherished and promoted enthusiastically. We met more than 50 years ago, when we moved to the town of Wilton, Connecticut. There, she established an active teaching studio, participated in town musical activities, and served as judge for piano competitions. As a member of Connecticut Composers, she composed chamber works that were heard at concerts sponsored by the organization.
Eugénie shone as a musician, starting as a child at the piano and soon enlarging her creative scope to composing — at the time, a rarity for a woman. She scored enormous success with more than 100 volumes of piano music, full of charm and challenge, expressly for early-years learners. This large published repertoire — showing the composer’s savvy perceptions of both player and instrument — brought her to be the sparkling centerpiece of national music conventions and festivals.
Eugénie was an active, enthusiastic member of NLAPW for more than four decades. Her works won several prizes, and she graced Biennials with performances and lectures. She willingly served in several administrative capacities, both for her branch and the national organization.
Indeed, Eugénie Rocherolle was a multi-faceted star, whose musical imaginings and ideas will forever sparkle and shimmer.
— Submitted by Elizabeth Lauer
Read Elizabeth Lauer’s article about Eugénie Rocherolle, published in the Summer 2023 edition of The Pen Woman