When studying the history of women in music, it is all too common to read about the difficulties that women faced from their own families in pursing music seriously. Cases can be found in all time periods, in all levels of society, and in countries far and wide. The...
After an unexpected and far too lengthy hiatus, Feminist in the Concert Hall is back for the New Year. And what better way to start than with great news from the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. I posted last year about the changes that the ensemble was going to have...
In this time of strife for orchestral musicians, it is refreshing to remember just how dedicated many have been throughout their careers. Norman Lebrecht posted on his blog a “near-definitive” list of the longest serving orchestral musicians. While it will surely...
Today is the 124th birthday of composer, conductor, and educator Nadia Boulanger. I was actually reminded of this on my morning commute by my local independent radio station, WDIY, who did a birthday tribute to Nadia by playing works of some of her most famous pupils....
Today is the 132nd birthday of Alma Mahler. Though she is often remembered as the wife of Gustav, her own career as a musician and composer is neglected. Alma studied piano from an early age and took composition lessons with Josef Labor and Alexander von Zemlinsky....
