My student Iris Kreiman from Spain, has written a beautiful article about women in music.
It basically lists 10 of the most famous female composers in history.
I would like to share this article with you.
If you think there are more than this, please comment so we can work and add them to our next release :)
Replies
I'll give this more thought later but for now, the few British composers I could list are
Judith Weir (Master of the Queen's music - the first female to hold the post) 1954 -
Thea Musgrave (lived in the US since the early 70s) - 1927 -
Elizabeth Maconchy - 1907-1994
Grace Williams - 1906-1977
Judith Bingham - 1952-
Elisabeth Lutyens - 1906-1983 (My favourite of this list and among my fave 5 Brit composers. Adaptable, eclectic - wrote anything from film and other incidental music to atonal/modified-serial (in that if she was on a serial piece and suddenly came across a super sound that she liked she'd put it in. Avant Garde for her time so less often heard than the others.)
There are quite a few contemporary female composers. It's fair to say that nowadays in the UK women composers probably stand a greater chance of performance than men with the PC drive for equality. For example, the BBC's diversity drive means that the composers least likely to be performed and broadcast are white males.
As for British composers generally, we don't have many before the late 1800s.
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To add a couple more that come to mind right off:
Hildegard von Bingen (12th century) - I'm surprised she wasn't on the original list!
Germaine Tailleferre (1892 - 1983) - a member of the original Les Six.
Sofia Gubaidulina (1931 - ) - quite well-known Soviet/Russian composer.
I'm sure there are many, many more that I could think of.
Thank you so much for this collaboration!!!!
It is awesome. Iris and I will start working on adding these composers to the list.
We are focusing on finding links to their best pieces.
We got in touch with a female artist foundation in Madrid so they can promote the info on social media too.
Your help is truly appreciated. Thank you so much for!!!
We will let you know when we have updated the material.
You absolutely must include Galina Ustvolskaya!!! LOVE her. Just pure adrenaline and fury.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7n90yv6fto
Fanny Mendelssohn - Hensel
Amy Beach