In the past few years, so many have “discovered” the issue of women composers and gender in classical music. That is — for the most part — great! But sometimes it does seem like we keep on “re-inventing the wheel.” If instead we recognized and built on the work that has taken place in the past, we might be able to move forward towards our goals more quickly.
Thus I did not want to let the death of musicologist Karin Pendle to go unnoticed. She worked with great determination and effectiveness for many decades in researching, teaching and publishing about women in music.
Music Critic Janelle Gelfand, who was one of Pendle’s many students, offered this insightful and heartfelt remembrance. Thank you Dr. Gelfand, for sharing, and thank you Dr. Pendle, for your significant contributions to bringing gender equity to the world of classical music.