WRCJ 90.9 FM celebrates women in classical and jazz all year long and during Women’s History Month in March, we’re adding an extra measure of music by female artists. From Hildegard of Bingen to Clara Schumann to Leontyne Price to Jesse Montgomery… or Mary Lou Williams to Billie Holiday to Dorothy Ashby to Regina Carter… the choices are many and the accomplishments of women in music are exemplary.
Please help us celebrate by visiting our Facebook page and sharing the names of your favorite women in classical and jazz. Then listen throughout March as we honor great female artists. Thank you for your support.
Visit our Soundcloud page to hear conversations with artists such as Rachel Barton-Pine, Sharon Isbin, Alisa Weilerstein and others.
Here, in no particular order, are some of the female artists featured during CLASSICAL programming on WRCJ:
Florence Price Clara Wieck Schumann
Jennifer Higdon Amy Cheney Beach
Germaine Tailleferre Louise Farrenc
Hildegard von Bingen Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
Joan Tower Cindy McTee
Henriette Renie Rebecca Dale
Lili Boulanger Rachel Portman
Ethel Smyth Ellen Taafe Zwilich
Doreen Carwithen Cecile Chaminade
Eleanor Remick Warren Doris Akers
Pauline Viardot-Garcia Barbara Strozzi
Catherine McMichael Maria Newman
Rebecca Clarke Dobrinka Tobakova
Laurel Zucker Joni Mitchell
Alexandra Vrebalov Sophia Corri Dussek
Maria Schneider Alla Borzova
Liona Boyd Marin Alsop
We also encourage you to do a bit of research to learn more. Here are a few randomly selected websites that only begin to explore a very rich subject.
21 of the Greatest Women Composers in Classical Music (classicfm.com)
https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/latest/great-women-composers/
12 Black Female Classical Composers You Need to Know (nateholdermusic.com)
https://www.nateholdermusic.com/post/12-black-female-classical-composers-you-need-to-know
Black Women in Classical Music (blackmusicscholar.com)
https://blackmusicscholar.com/afroclassical-black-women-in-classical-music/
Six of the Most Inspiring Women in Music (classical-music.com)
https://www.classical-music.com/features/artists/six-most-inspiring-women-music/
10 Contemporary Women Composers You Should Know (allclassical.org)
https://www.allclassical.org/10-contemporary-women-composers-you-should-know/
Equal at Last? Women in Jazz, by the Numbers (npr.org)
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/12/953964352/equal-at-last-women-in-jazz-by-the-numbers
10 Women in Jazz Who Never Got Their Due (nytimes.com)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/arts/music/women-jazz-musicians.html
10 Female Jazz Musicians You Need to Know (theculturetrip.com)
https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/the-top-10-female-jazz-musicians-you-should-know/
She was Once the Biggest Star in Jazz. Here’s Why You’ve Never Heard of Her (getpocket.com)
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/this-black-woman-was-once-the-biggest-star-in-jazz-here-s-why-you-ve-never-heard-of-her?utm_source=pocket-newtab
