Contributions of women composers to classical music are the focus of events March 3-4 at Mississippi University for Women. The inaugural Music by Women Festival in Poindexter Hall on campus will feature about 150 professors, independent musicians and students from the United States and abroad. Informative sessions and free concerts throughout the two days will showcase works by female composers from a number of musical eras.
“The goal of the festival is to change the current performance paradigm of classical music,” explained Julia Mortyakova, chair of The W’s Department of Music and artistic director of the festival. Although much great music has been composed by women, it is rarely programmed on recitals or orchestral concerts, she continued.
“It is my hope that this festival will serve as a catalyst to inspire future performances and study of music by women composers and permanently incorporate their contributions into the classical music performance canon.”
Concerts and sessions
A wide variety of music and instruments will be featured in concerts each day at noon, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. All festival concerts are free and open to the public and do not require registration.
The festival will also present 70-plus papers, lecture recitals and new music, all relating to the subject of music composed, taught and performed by women. The public can attend the sessions by registering at longblueline.muw.edu/music-by-women-festival. The fee is $50.
The festival begins at 9 a.m. Friday and closes at the conclusion of the last concert on Saturday at 8 p.m.
“The diversity of the topics covered assures that everyone who attends the festival will find a presentation of interest to them,” said Mortyakova.
Presenters hail from institutions including the University of Oklahoma, University of Miami, Hofstra University, M.I.T., University of North Carolina, James Madison University, Ball State University, Central Michigan University, Eastman School of Music, University of Delaware, Florida State University, University of Massachusetts and many others. A complete festival schedule is available at muw.edu/musicbywomen/schedule.
For more festival information, visit the website or contact Mortyakova at [email protected].
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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