Born in 1867 Amy Beach rebelled against convention by making a career as a pianist and a composer with her husband actively encouraging her to write music which was and is still performed regularly. Amy Beach was a prodigious pianist who could improvise at 2 and compose at 5 giving public recitals at 7. The… Read more »
Florence Price – Composer and Pioneer A child prodigy making her concert debut at 4, the same age as Mozart, Florence Price graduated with 2 diplomas at the age of 19. She was a professional organist, concert pianist and teacher, heading the music department at Clark University, Georgia at 23. Of her 300 compositions her… Read more »
Cécile Chaminade, from Fame to Obscurity In her lifetime Chaminade was celebrated round the world but her reputation has diminished since her death. Her remarkable output ranges from delightful salon pieces to serious chamber, vocal and orchestral works. This course was about the extraordinary life and beautiful music of one of the foremost French composers… Read more »