Madeleine Milhaud

Who was Madeleine Milhaud?

Madeleine Milhaud was a French actress and librettist. She was both a cousin and the wife of the French composer Darius Milhaud.

Madeleine Milhaud was born in Paris. Her father, Darius' uncle, was from Aix-en-Provence, and her mother from Brussels. She began acting at a young age, and had a long career as an actress and reciter.

Darius and Madeleine Milhaud were married in 1925; they had one son, Daniel, a painter. Darius' piano suite La Muse Menagère is dedicated to her, and depicts their daily life together. She wrote the libretti for his operas Médée, Bolivar, and La Mère coupable.