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.

Libby Larsen - composer breaks barriers in the world of orchestral music

Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM | By Ellen Robertson

Published February 22, 2019 at 3:45 PM EST

American composer Libby Larsen’s early musical training included Gregorian Chant, Dixieland music and boogie-woogie. In 1973, Larsen co-founded the Minnesota Composers Forum, and 10 years later was appointed a composer-in-residence by the Minnesota Orchestra – the first woman to serve as a resident composer with a major orchestra. In 2010, she received a Peabody Award for Outstanding Contributions to Music in America. Listen to "Try Me Good King" from Last Words of the Wives of Henry VIII.

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.