Happy Birthday, Alma Mahler

Today is the 132nd birthday of Alma Mahler. Though she is often remembered as the wife of Gustav, her own career as a musician and composer is neglected.  Alma studied piano from an early age and took composition lessons with Josef Labor and Alexander von Zemlinsky....

Thoughts on Beauty in Classical Music

I had been trying to put together some thoughts about the way women who perform classical music are viewed/described by the media, long before Yuja Wang made her controversial Hollywood Bowl appearance. And after sifting through dozens of articles and critiques, I...

New Film About Mozart’s Sister

I just saw the new trailer for the film, titled Mozart’s Sister, yesterday – and today NPR’s classical music blog Deceptive Cadence discussed the film and the how little is really known about the life and music of the “other” Mozart. Here’s the official trailer for...

Back to School With Hildegard Publishing

The Hildegard Publishing Company, which is named after my favorite medieval abbess and is one of my favorite resources for finding music composed by women, put together a great resource for music educators who may be looking for new resources for their classroom or...

New Operas Commissioned in Santa Fe

The Santa Fe Opera announced three new commissions to be premiered over the next three years. The particularly excellent news is that two of the composers are Jennifer Higdon and Judith Weir. From the Santa Fe Opera press release: COLD MOUNTAIN – Jennifer...