The 100th Birthday of Vítězslava Kaprálová

by sarah | Jan 28, 2015

Artistic directors, conductors, and radio playlist makers, love to acknowledge composer birthdays.  In fact, we just discussed how significant birthdays can impact programming on a national level as orchestras include tribute concerts in their annual programming.  ...

Handel and Haydn Society Celebrates 200 Years

by sarah | Dec 19, 2014

The Handel and Haydn Society – the oldest continually performing arts organization in the U.S. – is celebrating their bicentennial this year.  Founded in Boston in 1815, the chorus has made important U.S. premieres of works by the “great...

Amy Beach’s European Successes Recalled by Musical America; article of 100 years ago reprinted

by Liane Curtis | Oct 25, 2014

The noted publication Musical America recalled Amy Beach’s travels and concertizing a century ago, by reprinting an article from October 17, 1914 that interviewed the composer and gave details of her trip. Musical America offered links to a scanned version of...

Happy Birthday Vivian Fine

by sarah | Sep 30, 2014

This past Sunday (September 28) would have been Vivian Fine’s 101st birthday.  Born in Chicago in 1913, Fine was a piano prodigy who went on to study with Ruth Crawford Seeger and achieve acclaim for her compositions at a young age.  She composed continuously...

Hildegard’s Feast Day

by sarah | Sep 17, 2014

Today is the Feast day of one of the best known women composers – and, typically, the only one to be included in a music history textbook – is Hildegard of Bingen. A 12th century abbess in Germany, Hildegard is remembered for being one of the first women...

Remembering Nadia Boulanger

by sarah | Sep 16, 2014

Today would be the 127th birthday of Nadia Boulanger – the foremost music educator of the 20th century.  Her skill and expertise were widely sought, and her list of students is more than extensive and impressive.  I highly recommend Bruno Monsaingeon’s...