Classical Music

Women in Classical Music

If you look at the listings of the major orchestras in America you will see two things in common; very few of them are programming major pieces by women composers, and almost none have a woman on the podium. Despite the abundance of wonderful compositions by women, the world of classical music has been, for centuries, a man’s world.

Fanny Mendelssohn - Out from her brother's shadow

Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM | By Ruth Phinney

Published February 8, 2018 at 1:35 PM EST

Fanny Mendelssohn was the older sister of Felix Mendelssohn, and a composer of more than 460 works. A number of her pieces were originally published under Felix's name. This ended in 1842 when Felix confessed the deception to Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace. Listen to Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel's Piano Trio Op. 11 (1840)

This post is part WXXI Classical 91.5’s celebration of Women’s History Month. For more of these stories and other resources, check out Celebrating the Contributions of Women to Classical Music.