Edith Canat de Chizy was born in 1950. She studied archaeology and philosophy at the Sorbonne University and music at the Paris Conservatoire. Her compositions have received numerous prizes and accolades and she is the first female composer to be a member of the Institute de France. Her favourite and most successful compositions are those using string instruments and choir. All of her works have an engaging contemporary sound and explore the relationship between the past and the present. She is heavily influenced by the music of Purcell and Britten.