Today is the 346th birthday of Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre. Born in Paris March 17, 1665, was a child prodigy who, at the age of five, gave a harpsichord concert for King Louis XIV. She continued as a court musician until her marriage in 1684, but continued to give...
Sunday, November 14, was Fanny Mendelssohn’s 205th birthday. I wrote about Fanny recently in conjunction with R. Larry Todd’s new work, Fanny Hensel – The Other Mendelssohn. Big sister of Felix, Fanny demonstrated the same musical aptitude as her brother, and received...
Today is the 191st birthday of Clara Wieck Schumann, piano virtuoso and composer, though she is most often remembered as the wife and supporter of Robert, as well as friend and source of inspiration (and perhaps torment) to Brahms. Her life and work is truly honored...
This past Sunday, September 5, was the 143rd birthday of Amy Beach! I suppose it is fair to say that she is the best known of the still largely unknown, and unrecognized, contingent of historical women composers. This is due in large part to the work of Adrienne...
