George Sand
Novelist, playwright and journalist
Born Aurore Dupin in Paris in 1804, George Sand was the offspring of two opposing worlds – her father from the minor nobility of the Berry region, her mother from working-class stock. Confronting such contrasting social spheres may have resulted in her lifelong quest for freedom, and the enduring curiosity about human nature that infuses her entire oeuvre.
Though drawn to reading and writing from an early age, Aurore was expected to follow the conventional path set for young women of her era. In 1822 she was married to one Baron Casimir Dudevant, but the couple had little in common and within a few years she had divorced him, devoting herself entirely to writing.
Her first novel, Indiana, appeared under the pseudonym George Sand in 1832. Published by a small Parisian press, the book was an instant triumph. Sand rapidly established herself as a central figure in Parisian literary circles, going on to publish a formidable body of work including Valentine, Lélia, Mauprat, La Mare au Diable (The Devil’s Pool) and Les Maîtres sonneurs (The Bagpipers).
Her pen name reflected and became synonymous with a truly extraordinary personality. Sand claimed freedoms that extended far beyond the pages of her books, notably adopting male attire – which allowed her uninhibited and unhindered entry into artistic and intellectual circles. She moved among the finest writers, artists and musicians of her day, forming close ties with Liszt, the singer/composer Pauline Viardot, and Chopin – with whom she shared a passionate relationship for many years.
Music was truly vital to her inner world and creative life. She was fascinated by all musical genres, engaging as deeply with classical masterpieces and opera as with the folk traditions of Berry. In Les Maîtres sonneurs she elevates the hurdy-gurdy, the bagpipe and the folk songs of Berry into essential elements of her literary landscape.
“Music says what we think, it shows what we see, it tells a story like words do, it loves with the heart; it lives, it truly exists.” George Sand Les Maîtres sonneurs 1853
She passed away in 1876 at Nohant, the estate in Berry that served throughout her life as a sanctuary for creation and intellectual exchange. She left behind a monumental legacy that continues to captivate today. Through her choices, her writing and her convictions, Sand helped redefine the boundaries of what a woman could embody in the nineteenth century.
Her dedication to women’s empowerment, her fiercely independent approach to artistic creation and her deep attachment to Berry make her a natural guiding spirit for the Paris Mozart Orchestra. Her legacy resonates across many projects in our 2026-27 season, honouring the 150th anniversary of her passing.