As I prepare this piece for Carnegie, I am working on bringing out both its narrative and romantic qualities. 

With today being the last day of the celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to focus on the career of another pioneering conductor, JoAnn Falletta.

As we come to the close of this month’s celebration of Women’s History, I would like to use today and tomorrow to highlight two very important women who have in their roles as conductors proven to be true trailblazers.

The Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili will appear in concert next month at Carnegie Hall in a program of works by Beethoven, Liszt, and Schubert.

Reviewing the list of some of the female pianists who are on the Carnegie Hall performance roster this season, I owe a particular vote of thanks for their being sources of both inspiration and learning.

Later this week I am going to be sharing profiles of some of the women pianists currently on the international scene whose talents and accomplishments are creating both the present and future of classical music.

Cécile Chaminade was born in Paris in 1857 into a family where her talents were strongly encouraged.

With today being Saint Patrick’s Day, I would like to turn to the work of a very special Irish composer, Ina Boyle.

Throughout this month in honor of Women’s History Month I am continuing my celebration of female musicians.

“March” from Das Jahr by Fanny Mendelssohn feels to me like the moment when winter begins to move away and the first signs of life return. Compared to the pensive atmosphere of January, this movement has a much clearer sense of motion and direction.

The number of choices one has for highlighting great women classical musicians seems endless, but I came across a particularly beautiful performance of a work which I would like to mention today, and in so doing also talk about the soloist, Jacqueline du Pré.

Continuing my celebration of Women’s History Month, today I am looking at the life of pianist Alicia de Larrocha.

Although well-known as a composer, Nadia Boulanger is perhaps best remembered as a teacher of piano and composition. Her students included Daniel Barenboim, Elliott Carter, Aaron Copland, John Eliot Gardiner, Philip Glass, Quincy Jones, Igor Markevitch, and Astor Piazzolla, among hundreds of others.

Continuing to celebrate women classical musicians as part of Women’s History Month, I would  like to now turn my attention to pianist Mitsuko Uchida.

March is National Women’s History Month, and I am delighted to have this opportunity to focus on some of the many women musicians whose work and creativity continue to help classical music grow and evolve.

While it is very clear now how much interest and fascination I have with Fanny Mendelssohn as well as her cycle Das Jahr, there seems to be no shortage of wonderful information about the history of the work itself.

Looking over the list of people who were born today, February 24, it was interesting to me  there is no shortage of composers who share this birth date.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I’ve been working on Fanny Mendelssohn’s Das Jahr, and having a wonderful time exploring the individual pieces that are part of this cycle.

Among the many things I find so wonderful about being a classical musician are the endless discoveries I make as I examine the lives and histories of its composers. This is particularly true as I continue my study of Fanny Mendelssohn.

As one looks at the number of celebrated composers who were siblings, I think it is less important to compare them and their works, as it is to celebrate the fact that they all gave us so much wonderful music to study, perform, and share.