News and music to start your week!

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s birthday was honored with a Google Doodle! November 14 marked the 216th birthday of the composer, pictured above.  In case you missed it, you can see the animated doodle here.

NPR interviewed Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason – sibling superstars of the classical music world. The duo, who play cello and piano, respectively, talked about the importance of representation and diversity in the classical music world.  Listen in to the conversation below:

Read about Croatia’s first woman composer, Dora Pejačević, in Total Croatia News (although the article is mostly on her family and their castles).  A member of the royal family, Pejačević was also the first composer to introduce a modern symphony into the Croatian concert halls. More info about Pejačević is here, in this 2017 article in Signature, the online magazine of the Maud Powell Society.  

Conductor Elaine Kelly spoke with the Irish Times about her work with the Irish National Opera during the lockdown, and how she has gotten bit by the opera bug.

And in the latest installment of Women Composers Festival of Hartford HerStory series, Dr. Sarah Masterson discusses Philippa Schuyler’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom:

Judith Shatin’s composition Respecting the First (Amendment) was recorded by  San José Chamber Orchestra in its world premiere, and is offered as a public gift on Vimeo, streaming on-demand through December 13, 7 pm EST. Conductor Barbara Day Turner, animator Jonah Tobias the composer give a brief discussion prior to the video performance.

What did we miss?  What are you reading and listening to? Let us know [email protected]