Cécile Gilly (known on the stage as Cecile Roma, born approximately 1891[1]) was a French mezzo-soprano and singing teacher.
Marjorie Lawrence's autobiography, Interrupted Melody[6] is the main source of information on Gilly's approach to vocal pedagogy.
By the time Marjorie Lawrence became her student in 1928, Cécile Gilly had developed a noted reputation as a singing teacher.
[9] Lawrence briefly mentioned Gilly's difficult life through giving up a potential singing career in order to have children, only to have her husband abandon her and thus having to support herself as a voice teacher.
In an unintentionally humorous page, Lawrence described the extremely affluent Walska as almost completely lacking musical talent, but Gilly maintaining her as a student due to significant financial remuneration.
[10][11] In his biography of Marjorie Lawrence, Richard Harding Davis provides additional detail underscoring Cécile Gilly's difficult life.