News and music to start your week!
Musicians in Bonn, Germany celebrated the 200th birthday of Clara Schumann with Schumannfest! The event, which runs from June 1 to June 16, will include works by many women composers, not just Clara. However, there will be a special focus on her anniversary year, including two biographical films the will be screened at the festival and a play titled Clara. Read on here.
Speaking of Clara Schumann, our President, Dr. Liane Curtis, attended the memorial service for Dr. Nancy B. Reich (distinguished and pioneering Clara Schumann scholar), who passed away in January. Curtis announced the formation of the Nancy B. Reich Fund, for an annual grant to an orchestra in support of a performance of a major work by a historic woman. Funds donated to WPA in Dr. Reich’s honor will a performance of a work composed by a woman of the past — possibly by Clara Schumann or one of the many other hundreds of women whose music is deserving of more performances. The Fund will be administrated as part of our Performance Grants.
Congratulations to pianist and scholar Samantha Ege (pictured above) who was in the news several times this week! Her debut album, which includes performances of works for solo piano by Price, Kapralova, Bilsland, and Bonds, was named the Classical Album of the Week at radio station WRTI, who also featured tracks in their on-air broadcasting. Ege was also interviewed by the NotesonNotes podcast about her research on Florence Price. Read on and listen in at the NotesonNotes Website.
Limelight, a classical music news magazine based in Australia, has just published a thoughtful piece on the power imbalances that occur in opera – from the lack of women being included as directors, conductors, and administrators, to the problematic but beloved roles that fill the traditional opera repertoire.
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