News and music to start your week!

The Philadelphia Orchestra has announced that they have discovered letters from Clara Schumann in their archives!  This is just after Clara’s 200th birthday celebration in which many world-famous ensembles spoke about her achievements, but no top-tier U.S. orchestra programmed any of her works.  Read more at the Philadelphia Orchestra website.

Listen in on a new episode of Listening to Ladies – this time Elizabeth Blair is in conversation with Patricia Martinez (pictured above), an Argentinian/Spanish composer based in Buenos Aires.

On our own blog, Feminist in the Concert Hall, we have Featured Guest Blogger: Quinn Mason on Diversity in Music. Mr. Mason is a young conductor and composer who has compiled the remarkable Youtube channel featuring women composers.

Read composer Elizabeth Kennedy Bayer’s account of composing in the wilderness of Alaska at NewMusicBox.

This past weekend held the inaugural concert of the Open Youth Orchestra of Ireland (OYOI)  – the first ensemble created for disabled youth in Europe.  The ensemble includes adaptive instruments and an innovative way to understand music through gesture called “conductology”.  Learn more at the Independent.

And tune in to a new program from WQXR called Her/Music: Her/Story.  The first two shows are available streaming now and include “The Extraordinary Life of Clara Schumann” and “The Three B’s 2.0” which discuss the Boulanger sisters, Gena Branscombe, and Amy Beach.  Listen in!