Ce�cile Chaminade (1857-1944) was born in Paris and began studying piano at an early age with her mother, she later studied violin and composition privately and became hugely popular in France, the UK and USA. She was the first female composer to receive the Le�gion d’Honneur and often performed for Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle. Her US debut was with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1908 where she performed her own Concertstück op. 40 for piano and orchestra. Despite the fact that most of her 400+ works were published during her lifetime her music fell into obscurity after her death; though in recent years there has been much renewed interest.

Aubade was first published by Enoch & Cie, Paris in a collection of twelve short pieces called Album des Enfants vol. 2, op. 126 and many of the works in both volumes 1 and 2 are on the syllabuses of the major music examination boards. Aubade has was later extended and expanded by Chaminade as her opus 140.