Nkeiru Okoye

by Liane Curtis | Mar 11, 2014

Nkeiru Okoye was born in New York (1972), and growing up, frequently visited her father’s native Nigeria.  She won a song-writing competition at age 13, and decided to study composition seriously.   She received degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory (BA) and Rutgers...

Marion Bauer: Educator and Composer

by sarah | Mar 9, 2014

Marion Bauer (1882-1955) was born in Washington state the youngest of seven children to working class immigrant parents.  But even though resources were limited, the Bauers supported their daughter’s musical aptitude. Though she studied extensively, including...

International Women’s Day and the Boulanger Sisters

by sarah | Mar 8, 2014

Today is International Women’s Day!  And to celebrate, today’s post is about two sisters who made an international impression during their lives, and after. Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) and Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979) were French natives, and  sisters who...

Zwilich Honored by Society for American Music

by Liane Curtis | Mar 7, 2014

Today (Mar. 7) composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939) is being inducted by the Society for American Music as its newest Honorary Member, in a ceremony taking place at the Society’s annual conference. The New Grove Dictionary of Music describes Zwilich “one of...

Alex Shapiro and ASCAP

by sarah | Mar 6, 2014

ASCAP just announced that Alex Shapiro was elected to the Board of Directors in the Symphonic and Concert seat (formally held by Stephen Paulus who is unable to complete his term due to illness). Shapiro has composed extensively for chamber ensembles and symphonic...

Germaine Tailleferre and Les Six

by sarah | Mar 5, 2014

Germaine Tailleferre has the distinction of being one of the only women who are regularly remembered in Music History courses—even if it is only due to her association with a group of men.  Tailleferre, with George Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud,...