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Honoring Women Composers in March

WRTI's Tribute to Women's History Month

It wasn't until the last third of the 20th century that women took their place in serious music, a field historically dominated by men. Felix Mendelssohn's sister Fanny composed quite a bit of music, but it was only heard in private since it wasn't considered "proper" for a woman to compose. With a few exceptions, women in music had a challenging time proving their worth and ability. Some simply composed music knowing it would never be heard. Others persevered, and had limited success in getting their music published and performed. Read More...

We'll examine some of these remarkable women composers during the month of March, ranging from the 10th century's Abbess Hildegard von Bingen to the 20th century's Ellen Taafe Zwilich and Joan Tower.

More Information:

Watch and Listen: Music of the Middle Ages by Hildegard von Bingen

For a fabulous website devoted to women composers, Click Here.