Program Highlight

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.

Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Violinist

Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM | By Jeanne Fisher

Published February 8, 2021 at 1:40 PM EST

Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Violinist

Kelly Hall-Tompkins earned a Bachelor of Music degree with honors in violin performance from the Eastman School of Music and a Master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music. In 2016 she received an Honorary Doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music, and also delivered the Commencement address. She is also one of three 2017 recipients of the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, which was presented at the US Supreme Court by Justice Sotomayor. In addition to extensive touring in the United States and abroad with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, she appears regularly as concertmaster of the Festival Orchestra at the biennial Gateways Music Festival.

A dedicated humanitarian and social justice in the arts pioneer, Ms. Hall-Tompkins founded and directs Music Kitchen-Food for the Soul, which has, to date, brought over 100 chamber music performances to an estimated 18,000 homeless shelter clients in New York City, Los Angeles, nationwide and in Paris, France.