Elected in 2005 at the french Beaux-Arts Académie, Edith Canat de Chizy (born on 26 March 1950) is the first woman composer to enter the Institut de France.

Having obtained a degree in Art, Archeology and Philosophy at the Sorbonne University , she then studied music in the Paris Conservatoire Supérieur, where she was awarded, in turn, first prizes in harmony, fugue, counterpoint, analysis, orchestration and composition.

She studied first under Ivo Malec and then, in 1983, came the decisive meeting with Maurice Ohana. At the same time she worked on electroacoustics both at the Conservatoire and with the Groupe de Recherches Musicales.

She has been awarded numerous prizes for her work, including the Tribune Internationale des Compositeurs Prize for her orchestral work Yell (1990) ; the SACEM Hervé Dugardin (1987) and Georges Enesco (1990) prizes ; the Paul-Louis Weiller prize (1992) ; the SACD “Jeune talent musique” Prize (1998) ; and an exceptionnal distinction for her cello concerto Moïra at the Prince Pierre de Monaco competition (1999). She was made a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres in 1994.

In 1997 and 1998, she was a composer in residence at the Metz Arsenal and in 2000, she was nominated at the Victoires de la Musique for her violin concerto Exultet.

Edith Canat de Chizy’s training as a violonist means she is very familiar with string writing. She has an obvious sense of timbre and sound matter which is particularly in evidence in her orchestral works. Her independent language and freedom of style have enabled her to create a singular sound world where her imagination holds sway.

Her last recording “Moving” (Aeon 210) devoted to string works met a huge success with the public and the critics. In July 2003, her second string quartet Alive was premiered at the Bordeaux International String Quartet competition.

Her viola concerto Les Rayons du jour, commissioned by the Orchestre de Paris, premiered in February 2005 by Ana Bela Chaves under the direction of Christoph Eschenbach met a huge success with the public and the critics.

She is crowned in 2004 by the SACEM Great Symphonic Prize.

Since september 2003, she is the head of the Paris 7eme arrondissement Conservatoire where she has opened a composition class that she teaches herself.