Feminist in the Concert Hall
WPA News Digest – September 30, 2024
Exciting News!! Composer Jeanine Tesori has become the first woman composer to open a season for the Metropolitan Opera in its 141 years of operation. Her opera Grounded was given a gala premiere, starring mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo on September 23,as announced in...
WPA News Digest – September 23, 2024
So much going on as the fall season of concerts and events is in full swing! On September 27–28, Washington University in St. Louis will host a symposium on the music and work of Julia Perry. The event will include guest lectures, a roundtable, and a concert of...
“Is This America?” The Fannie Lou Hamer Opera Premieres
In Boston, a remarkable new opera is being premiered this weekend. “Is This America? The Fannie Lou Hamer Story,” composed by Mary D. Watkins, with a libretto by Watkins and Cerise Jacobs. In this interview that aired on Boston’s WBUR, Mary Watkins describes how she...
Announcing the 1874 Project – Six Women Composers to be Commissioned
Today’s author, Carolyn Watson is an Australian-born conductor who has been active in the US since 2013. She serves as Director of Orchestras at the University of Illinois while continuing to enjoy an active freelance career internationally. 2024 marks the 150th...
WPA News Digest – September 16, 2024
To start your week, here are a few recent stories that caught our attention! In a surprising announcement this week, the Berlin Philharmonic's concertmaster Vineta Sareika has announced that she will leave her position with the orchestra. Her final appearances with it...
WPA News Digest – September 9, 2024
Our big news this week is the Seattle Symphony's announcement that Xian Zhang will be its next music director beginning in the 2025/26 season! This appointment distinguishes her as the first woman conductor to head a major orchestra on the US West Coast. Zhang will...