Françoise des Varennes
Françoise was the goddaughter of Henriette Renié, another famous harpist.When her grandmother died, Françoise chose to live and be raised by Mlle Renié. Although Françoise played the harp, she seemed destined for a career as a writer, poet, historical novelist, and dramatist. She won many awards and praise for her works that were presented on the television and radio. Mlle Renié dedicated many works to her, including Les Pins de Charlannes for two or more harps.
Françoise tried very hard to preserve the memory of Henriette Renié and her music. She donated manuscripts, recordings, photos, and other memorabilia to comprise the “Renié Collection” of the International Harp Archives at Brigham Young University in 1992.
Adapted from: Sally Maxwell. “ In Memoriam: Françoise des Varennes”American Harp Journal 19 (Summer 2004): 57.