A selection of 'women composers' articles

Ensemble. Firm and Incisive - Mike Wheeler reports on Haydn, McDowall and Handel from Derby

Spotlight. Rather Enigmatic - Geoff Pearce, after listening to 'Missa Cambrensis', wants to hear more by Welsh composer Grace Williams. '... exceptional artists ...'

Ensemble. An Engaging Partnership - Mike Wheeler is impressed by Hana Chang, Delyana Lazarova and Sinfonia Viva, playing music by Fanny Mendelssohn, Mozart, Caroline Shaw and Beethoven

Classical music news - March 2025 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Spotlight. Chosen with Great Care - Geoff Pearce discovers contemporary songs for mezzo-soprano and piano. '... exceptional artists ...'

Spotlight. Quite Compelling - Geoff Pearce listens to contemporary orchestral music on the Ablaze Records label. '... each composer is worthy of your consideration as they are all talented and original voices ...'

Ensemble. Excellent Talent on Show - Frances Forbes-Carbines is moved by the singing and the theatricality of English National Opera's production of 'Mary, Queen of Scots'

Classical music news. Significant Anniversaries - Classical Music Daily launches a series of pages featuring a selection of each year's notable music anniversaries

Classical music news. Innovative Programming - Malin Broman has been appointed musical director of The Nordic Chamber Orchestra

Ensemble. New Year - New Sounds - Mike Wheeler hopes that a collaboration between the Sitwell Singers and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire will become an annual event

Ensemble. Hoisting the Mainsail - Mike Wheeler experiences sea shanties and wild winds from the wind principals of Sinfonia Viva

Classical music news - January 2025 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Classical music news - Fresh Perspectives - Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music celebrates its centenary season

Spotlight. Musica Sine Rhetoricis - John Dante Prevedini discovers a valuable release of new chamber music for guitar. '... an astonishing diversity of creative voices ...'

Ensemble. An Example To Us All - Roderic Dunnett's take on the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain's January 2025 tour

Ensemble. As Compelling as Expected - Mike Wheeler is impressed by Ravel, Thorvaldsdóttir, Nielsen, Shostakovich and more from the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain

Classical music news. January 2025 Newsletter - Watch and listen to our January 2025 video newsletter - Music and the Visual World

Classical music news - Anna Thorvaldsdóttir: Ubique - The first recording of the Icelandic composer's new fifty-minute chamber work will be released in February 2025

Classical music news - Exile and Return - The New York Virtuoso Singers presents a seventy-fifth birthday concert for artistic director Harold Rosenbaum

Classical music news - December 2024 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Classical music news. Divine Art Recordings - As Stephen Sutton retires, his British record label is acquired by a new company, First Inversion

Classical music news. Australian Youth Orchestra - Details of a festival in Adelaide in January 2025

Resounding Echoes by Robert McCarney - Hard Time

Spotlight. Emotional Joy and Gladness - Gerald Fenech warmly recommends Christmas music from the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. 'An enthralling compilation, flawlessly performed, that should prepare the listener for the celebrations of Christmastide, even at this early stage.'

Resounding Echoes by Robert McCarney - Joy!

Ensemble. A Varied and Fascinating Evening - Keith Bramich experiences music by Noriko Koide, Saint-Saëns, Prokofiev and Bartók from pianist Mao Fujita and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Elim Chan, live at the Helsinki Music Centre in Finland

Spotlight. An Interesting and Varied Release - Geoff Pearce recommends Hanni Liang's album of piano music by women composers. 'I was very impressed with the originality of this prgramme.'

Spotlight. A Compelling Issue - Gerald Fenech strongly recommends a new recording of music by Gustav Holst and his contemporaries. '... performances are as charming as they are abundantly sensitive.'

Ensemble. Thoughtfully Put-together - Mike Wheeler attends a music and poetry event and concludes that further similar events would be well-received

Classical music news. October 2024 Newsletter - Watch and listen to our October 2024 video newsletter - Composers, individuals or collective?

Spotlight. Impeccable Phrasing and Control - Geoff Pearce enjoys music by Robert and Clara Schumann for oboe and piano. '... beautifully performed and recorded.'

Resounding Echoes by Robert McCarney - The blood-dimmed tide

Classical music news. Malcolm Arnold Festival - The nineteenth annual festival devoted to the music of English composer Malcolm Arnold will take place in October 2024

Classical music news. Community MusicWorks - A music hub in Providence, Rhode Island, USA announces a new building and performance space

Ensemble. Avian Humanoids in the Park - Keith Bramich takes a guided walk with a difference

Classical music news. August 2024 Newsletter - Watch and listen to our August 2024 video newsletter - Initiating change, and the programming of living composers

Ensemble. Intelligently Structured and Winningly Executed - Mike Wheeler is impressed by Fenella Humphreys and Martin Roscoe's Buxton Festival recital marking the centenary of the death of Gabriel Fauré

Richly-designed and original - Roderic Dunnett looks forward to the Three Choirs Festival, 27 July - 4 August 2024 in Worcester, UK

Resounding Echoes by Robert McCarney - Imaginary Concert No 1

Spotlight. Anything but Indifferent? - Keith Bramich listens to music by Jane Stanley. '... by turns beautiful, cheeky, dreamy, engaging, gentle, intimate, modern-sounding, poised, reflective, serious, spatial, swirling and thoughtful.'

Ensemble. A Very Satisfying Evening - Keith Bramich enjoys a charity concert in London

Spotlight. A Kind of Reconciliation - Keith Bramich enjoys his journey through Stacy Garrop's oratorio 'Terra Nostra'. '... powerful, quirky and beautiful by turns, given life by the soloists, chorus and the varied orchestral accompaniment ...'

Classical music news - Anna Thorvaldsdóttir - The Icelandic composer's new orchestral installation receives its first performances on 1 June 2024 at the Reykjavík Arts Festival

Ensemble. Birthday Boys - Mike Wheeler reports from a celebratory Sitwell Singers concert featuring Bruckner and Cornelius

Ensemble. A Huge Dynamic Range - Mike Wheeler listens to Maria Ioudenitch, Stanislav Kochanovsky and the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra

Tailleferre - A classical music word search puzzle by Allan Rae

Ensemble. Little Short of Miraculous - Mike Wheeler is impressed by Hanni Liang's pianism, but reports that some audience members were unhappy with her recital's lecture element

Ensemble. A Fascinating Mix - Mike Wheeler listens to a joint concert by Derby Cathedral Choir and Sinfonia Viva

Ensemble. Luminous Playing - Mike Wheeler is impressed by French/German pianist Elena Fischer-Dieskau's performances of Mélanie Bonis, Robert Schumann and Rachmaninov

Spotlight. A Great Release - Geoff Pearce appreciates Laura van der Heijden and Jâms Coleman's cello and piano recital. '... the performers do not appear to be recorded with microphones too close, which results in realistic blending, and also a feeling of distance, perhaps reflecting the distant and mysterious qualities of the moonlight.'

Spotlight. Some Real Gems - Geoff Pearce will return often to this recording of orchestral music by Grażyna Bacewicz. '... full of invention and surprises ...'

Spotlight. Sumptuously Fragile Sounds - Gerald Fenech joyously recommends keyboard music from Handel's home in London. 'Technically flawless performances ...'

Ensemble. A Runaway Success - Mike Wheeler listens to choral music by seven students from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Zwilich - A classical music word search puzzle by Allan Rae

Spotlight. Highly Individual - Geoff Pearce listens to chamber music by two generations of female composers. '... marvellous unfamiliar music ...'

Ensemble. Refreshing and Exhilarating - Mike Wheeler starts the year with music by Dani Howard, Smetana and Richard Strauss from the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain

Spotlight. Most Innovative and Interesting - Music for horn, enjoyed by Geoff Pearce. '... one cannot help but be impressed with the performances, the power of the music and what it is expressing ...'

Spotlight. Complex and Interesting - Songs for tenor, violin, cello and percussion, enjoyed by Geoff Pearce. '... the tenor, Brian Thorsett, has an admirable technique ...'

Ensemble. Superb and Imaginative Playing - Roderic Dunnett marks Thomas Trotter's forty years as Birmingham City Organist by reviewing a special anniversary recital and investigating the artist's large output on the Regent Records label

Ensemble. Particularly Engaging - Mike Wheeler listens to Elgar, Anna Clyne, Ravel and Beethoven from Jess Gillam, Ben Gernon and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

Spotlight. Evocative and Quite Compelling - On the basis of the two works heard here, Geoff Pearce believes that Emily Howard's music will stand the test of time. '... the assembled forces have done a splendid job in delivering a rather startling performance.'

Classical music news. New Releases for October 2023 and Later - Browse a large selection of new recordings

Spotlight. A Complete Triumph - Gerald Fenech is exhilarated by the Philadelphia Orchestra's recording of symphonies by Florence Price and William Dawson. '... a vibrant energy that makes the music sound as fresh and exciting as when it was first heard.'

Ensemble. 'Jazzy by Bollywood Standards' - Mike Wheeler is fascinated by the music of Supriya Nagarajan and Lucy Nolan

Classical music news. September 2023 New Releases - Browse a large selection of new recordings

CD Spotlight. Layers of Visibility - John Dante Prevedini considers an important release of music by female Korean composers. '... a prime example of grassroots leadership in the vital cause of making the field of music composition more open to the full spectrum of composers.'

Ensemble. Bold Choices - Mike Wheeler congratulates Nicky Spence and Joseph Middleton on their Buxton Festival programme

A Fresh, Different View - Roderic Dunnett previews Adrian Partington's 2023 Gloucester Three Choirs Festival

Caccini - A classical music word-puzzle by Allan Rae

Ensemble. Raw Vitality with Sensitive Lyricism - Mike Wheeler is impressed by Rimsky-Korsakov, Rodrigo, Lili Boulanger and Stravinsky from Sean Shibe, Delyana Lazarova and the Hallé Orchestra

Classical music news. July 2023 New Releases - Browse a large selection of new recordings

Agnesi - A classical music word-puzzle by Allan Rae

Classical music news. Obituary - Kaija Saariaho (1952-2023)

Ensemble. An Important Voice - Mike Wheeler listens to Florence Price and Dvořák

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - More corn than gold

Ensemble. Bold and Resolute - Roderic Dunnett is impressed by a performance of Amy Beach's Mass in E flat

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - A hundred not out

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Rough winds do shake

Ensemble. A World-class Orchestra - Mike Wheeler is impressed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and chief conductor Eva Ollikainen

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - The home country grown strange

Classical music news. The Pursuit of Musick - Some new publications and other news

Quality or Taste? - Béla Hartmann discusses quality in the Arts

Classical music news. May 2023 New Releases - Browse a large selection of new recordings

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Looks like we got ourselves a reader

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Per Giuseppe

CD Spotlight. A Fascinating Recording - Geoff Pearce listens to new orchestral music conducted by Mikel Toms on Ablaze Records. 'The playing from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and overall sound of the works showcased is very good indeed, and the programme notes are excellent.'

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - A spot of circumnavigation on a Sunday afternoon

CD Spotlight. New and Refreshing - Geoff Pearce is impressed by the music of contemporary Swedish composer Britta Byström. 'There is a sincerity about this music that speaks directly to the soul.'

CD Spotlight. Very Enjoyable - Geoff Pearce listens to the Tailleferre Ensemble. 'This is a lovely disc which will delight most listeners ...'

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Wanted: Digital or Analogue

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Behind the Wall of Sleep

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Randomness Run Riot

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - The Departed

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Champions of Oblivion

Classical music news. March 2023 Newsletter - Our March 2023 PDF newsletter has just been published, along with some extra classical music news and our February 2023 classical music obituaries

Classical music news. March 2023 New Releases - Browse a large selection of new recordings

CD Spotlight. Caruso 150 - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Urania Records' new Caruso tribute album. 'One of the first major singing talents to be commercially recorded ...'

Classical music news. Obituary - Hilary Tann (1947-2023)

CD Spotlight. Meditative yet Impassioned - Music for solo cor anglais, heard by Geoff Pearce. 'The playing in this collection of small pieces is exemplary and inspiring ...'

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Selling like hot cakes ... maybe, hopefully

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Turn that racket down!

Classical music news. February 2023 New Releases - Browse a large selection of new recordings

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Four by Four by Five fff

Ensemble. Complete Assurance - A delectable recital by Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, heard by Mike Wheeler

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Sound Below Zero

Classical music news - American Invention - The New York Virtuoso Singers present a February 2023 concert of first performances

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - A New Look and Format

CD Spotlight. Melodic Invention and Heartfelt Sincerity - Gerald Fenech recommends a Naxos recording of orchestral music by Florence Beatrice Price. 'John Jeter and his Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen provide truly splendid performances, vibrant and often pulsating, and superbly balanced.'

CD Spotlight. Heartachingly Beautiful - Geoff Pearce is impressed by Dudok Quartet Amsterdam's performances of Shostakovich and Bacewicz. '... freshness and vitality ...'

Ensemble. On the Day of the Dead - Ron Bierman reports from San Diego on Gabriela Lena Frank's opera 'El último sueño de Frida y Diego'

CD Spotlight. Lifetime Favourites - Geoff Pearce listens to string quartets by Ethel Smyth and Frederick Delius. '... the recording ... is of pleasing quality.'

Profile. Opera is a Whole New World - As rehearsals begin for her new opera, Gabriela Lena Frank talks to Ron Bierman

CD Spotlight. A Magnificent CD - Geoff Pearce listens to music by Ruth Gipps. 'The BBC Philharmonic responds magnificently ...'

Classical music news. Gothic Opera - This Halloween in London UK, Gothic Opera presents a double bill of unknown supernatural operas by female composers Louise Bertin and Pauline Viardot

Ensemble. A Welcome Opportunity - Mike Wheeler listens to the recital 'Colour My Song' at the 2022 Buxton Festival

Ensemble. An Extraordinary Journey - Mike Wheeler listens to Charles Owen's piano recital at the 2022 Buxton Festival

Ensemble. A Massive and Moving Sound - Keith Bramich listens to Dvořák's Requiem at the first evening concert of the 2022 Three Choirs Festival in Hereford Cathedral

Classical music news. Pierrot Chamber Music Festival - The Pierrot Chamber Music Festival celebrates its summer season at the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center in Garden City, New York, USA

Classical music news. June 2022 Newsletter - Watch and listen to our June 2022 newsletter - a special feature on women composers

Ensemble. In Full Command - British harpist Lucy Nolan plays music by Marcel Tournier, Benjamin Britten, Sally Beamish, Paul Patterson, Tsvetlina Likova and Astor Piazzolla, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Becoming One - Mike Wheeler listens to music by Raphael Clarkson, Cecilia McDowall, Beethoven, Bartók, Preetha Narayanan and Mozart to celebrate Sinfonia Viva's fortieth anniversary

Profile. A Dramatic Entrance - Matt Spangler and Lucy Mauro shine a light on an American classical pioneer

CD Spotlight. Uncloaking a Sonic Universe - John Dante Prevedini listens to Rebeca Omordia's album 'African Pianism'. '... a compact, balanced and vital gateway to the work of African composers in the Western classical tradition ...'

CD Spotlight. Important Women Composers - British music by Ethel Smyth, Susan Spain-Dunk, Constance Warren and Ruth Gipps, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... performances of the highest calibre, combining irrepressible beauty and fragility with technical mastery that brings out all the suavity of these sophisticated creations.'

CD Spotlight. Music as Manifesto - John Dante Prevedini listens to contemporary music by Nastasia Khrushcheva. '... genuinely powerful and positively transformative ...'

CD Spotlight. Lovely and Very Effective - Music from Central and Eastern Europe for cello and piano, recommended by Geoff Pearce. '... very gifted, skilful and inspired ...'

CD Spotlight. Imaginative and Different - A variety of Christmas music from Navona Records, heard by Keith Bramich. '... played superbly.'

CD Spotlight. The Depths of the Singular - John Dante Prevedini listens to Victoria Jordanova's 'Kernel & Grit'. '... musical storytelling ... can be about the creative potential of something as humble as an unwatered seed or a layer of dust.'

Ensemble. Fresh and Appealing - Mike Wheeler listens to the Françaix Wind Trio

Ensemble. A Call from On High - Mike Wheeler listens to the Sinfonia Viva Brass Quintet

CD Spotlight. Six Composers, Piano, Strings and Voice - Ona Jarmalavičiūtė listens to works by six female composers. '... performed profoundly ...'

Profile. Connecting the Natural and Human Worlds - Ona Jarmalavičiūtė talks to the Welsh composer Hilary Tann

CD Spotlight. Something of a Marvel - Lucas Ball listens to J S Bach, Caroline Shaw and Robert Schumann, played by Amy Yang. '... Yang's delivery can be wild and exciting and even irritable but also depressing, lonely and longing.'

CD Spotlight. Truly Admirable - Gerald Fenech listens to works by French composer Louise Farrenc. 'An exhilarating addition to the composer's discography, passionately performed and recorded.'

CD Spotlight. A Distinctive Scottish Flavour - Geoff Pearce listens to chamber music and songs by Judith Weir. '... a fantastic disc ...'

CD Spotlight. A Tradition Still Alive - Gerald Fenech listens to Advent carols from King's College London. 'A hugely beautiful issue, full of inspiring singing and emotional joy, performed with fine control, impressive depth of tone and a dynamic range that commands one's admiration from start to finish.'

Profile. Universality of Emotion - Ona Jarmalavičiūtė talks to American composer Rain Worthington

Ensemble. Packed With Good Things - Roderic Dunnett reports from the 2019 Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester

Ensemble. Joyful Combinations - Patrick Maxwell listens to Britten, McDowall, Horovitz and James Bassi, performed by Janet Lincé and The New Choir

Ensemble. Venus Unwrapped - Keith Bramich is impressed by Noriko Ogawa, Kenneth Woods and the strings of the English Symphony Orchestra

CD Spotlight. Dazzling Symphonies - Symphonies by Ruth Gipps, recommended by Roderic Dunnett. 'It conveys as much energy and artistry and expressiveness today as it did the day it was written.'

CD Spotlight. An Encyclopedic Recital - Elizabeth Moak plays Judith Lang Zaimont, heard by the late Howard Smith. '... a stature of compelling merit.'

Ensemble. Woman for all Seasons - Gerald Fenech returns to Festival Maribor in Slovenia

A Golden Treasury - Havergal Brian on European and American music, read by Patric Standford

CD Spotlight. Precocious and Talented - Music by Anna Bon di Venezia, heard by Ron Bierman. '... nuanced and cleanly articulated ...'

Imaginative Heights - Gordon Rumson looks forward to the Calgary Art Song Competition

Ask Alice - Whilst Alice is on vacation, deputy Classical Music Agony Aunt Kelly Ferjutz writes about women composers

Ask Alice - Questions about Mussorgsky and about living women composers, fielded by deputy Classical Music Agony Aunt Kelly Ferjutz

Three Questions before the First Night - Carson Cooman talks to Meira Warshauer about her new Symphony, 'Living, Breathing Earth'

Three Questions before the First Night - Carson Cooman talks to Joan Tower about her new piece 'Chamber Dance'

Three Questions before the First Night - Carson Cooman talks to Judith Lang Zaimont about her Symphony for Wind Orchestra in Three Scenes