“Music for a Nation…by a Lady: A Timeless Battle Against Societal Constraints in Pursuit of a Professional Career”

A musical program and conversation highlighting the lives and compositions of inspiring women who battled against the constraints of the “accomplished lady” role to pursue commercial success as composers, often in anonymity.  Folk songs that traveled from the old continent and patriotic celebrations, honoring the ideals of the revolution, permeate inventive variations and dance forms composed for the fortepiano. The chosen works reflect the taste and conventions of the early days of the United States of America, spanning the country’s first hundred years. This historical struggle not only informs the successes of women pursuing professional careers today but also underscores the challenges we still face in achieving social justice and equality.