A Celebration of Women Composers

There have always been women composers. As far back as the seventh century BC, Sappho, the Greek lyric poetess, played her own accompaniments on the barbiton and the pektis. Throughout the twelfth century there were female troubadours and during the sixteenth, madrigal composers. Francesca Caccini (1587-1638) is thought to be the first woman to write an opera and Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre (1663-1729), the author of an early ballet. It is not until the end of the nineteenth century, however, that significantly more women begin to enjoy public performances of their music and become professional composers. Perhaps you’ve heard of Teresa Carreno, Sophie Menter and Clara Schumann? Jeffrey Engel will highlight the lives and the music of several distinguished female composers/concert pianists who attained recognition and success during the nineteenth century.

Jeffrey Engel graduated from Ithaca College (New York). . Mr. Engel has been giving lectures devoted to music history in colleges, libraries, retirement communities and other venues for some twenty years. He believes that such lectures should be entertaining as well as informative.