{"id":89564,"date":"2023-03-01T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-01T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/?p=89564"},"modified":"2026-01-23T12:58:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T20:58:21","slug":"maria-garcias-five-must-listen-to-women-composers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/maria-garcias-five-must-listen-to-women-composers\/","title":{"rendered":"Mar\u00eda Garc\u00eda’s Five “Must Hear” Women Composers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

All Classical Portland is proud to announce that the station has extended pianist Mar\u00eda Garc\u00eda<\/strong>‘s residency! In honor of Women’s History Month, she is shining a spotlight on five incredible composers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is history? Who has been in charge of telling these stories, and how have those choices shaped us? Stories are not created in a vacuum, and many facets help create a complete narrative. Yet traditional books often paint a monochromatic portrait that focuses on a slim portion of the population. For example, throughout the history of Western music, women (and many other groups) have been underrepresented and seen as second-class citizens in a world where they did not create the rules.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In celebration of Women\u2019s History Month<\/a><\/strong>, I would like to share five \u201cmust listen to\u201d women composers. All Classical Portland\u2019s Artist Residency has given me an opportunity to bring focus to my art, and a top priority throughout my residency has been to highlight women composers, both living and deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I research women composers, I\u2019ve often asked myself, \u201cIs the past relevant to our present, and what is our responsibility to it as performers?\u201d None of the books I studied at conservatory talked of women composers, especially those of the past. I have never composed a single piece of music, and my interest doesn\u2019t lie in that realm, so my career as a performer has aligned more with the general role given to women throughout the ages \u2013 that of muse and recreator of mostly male art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we think of the most commonly known women composers, names such as Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Maria Anna Mozart come to mind. These women lived, to varying degrees, in the shadows of men. Clara was able to compose and tour as a performer, but after Robert\u2019s death, she chose to dedicate herself to curating his music, performing, and teaching. Fanny Mendelssohn couldn\u2019t publish her own works and instead had to publish under her brother\u2019s name. And what of Maria Anna Mozart, who was said to be equally talented to her brother Wolfgang, yet no scores survive?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This month, I honor the tenacity and incredible talent of women whose shoulders we stand on by spotlighting a few women composers who have both been overlooked and are leading the way into the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Emilie Mayer (1812-1883)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Emilie Luise Friderica Mayer was a German composer who began her serious compositional study relatively late in life, at age 28, after the death of her father. She composed eight symphonies, seven symphonic overtures, eight violin sonatas, twelve cello sonatas, seven string quartets, six piano trios, a piano concerto, and an opera, among other works. Mayer is believed to not only have been the first woman to write a romantic symphony but also the most prolific German woman composer of the Romantic era. Yet, only a few of her pieces have been published. Most remain in their original handwritten form, making it difficult for groups to play her music. In addition to composing, Mayer was also a gifted sculptor whose works are featured in collections around Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is one of her beautiful compositions for piano, violin, viola, and cello \u2013 Piano Quartet in G Major<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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