Composers You Should Know: Ruth Schönthal
This week we are honoring the life and music of German composer, pianist, and educator Ruth Schönthal (1924-2006). Born in Hamburg, she demonstrated an early talent and became the young student ever accepted to the Stern’sches Konservatorium in Berlin at age five....
Composers You Should Know: Ruth Shaw Wylie
Saturday, June 24, is the 101st birthday of American composer and music educator Ruth Shaw Wylie (1916-1989). Born in Ohio, Wylie grew up in Detroit and considered herself to be, “a fairly typical Midwestern composer”. After earning her PhD in composition at...
Composers You Should Know: Galina Ustvolskaya
Saturday, June 17, would have been the 98th birthday of Russian composer Galina Ustvolskaya (1919-2006). Ustvolskaya studied at the Leningrad Conservatory and was a pupil of Shostakovich who was a champion for her works, even though her style evolved to be distinctly...
Composers You Should Know: Louise Farrenc
Today (May 31) is the 213th birthday of composer, educator, and virtuosic pianist Louise Farrenc (1804-1875). A celebrated composer in her time, she was the student of Muzio Clementi and Anton Reicha. She had tremendous support of her family, which led to an...