Wonder Women! Celebrating the music and stories of female composers
“Why hurry over beautiful things? Why not linger and enjoy them?” So pondered Clara Schumann, remembered as one of the finest pianists of all time.
In “Wonder Women!”, pianist Sarah Hagen delves into the remarkable stories and piano music of forgotten female composers from the classical repertoire. This recital will highlight piano works by 18th and 19th century composers, including Clara Schumann, Cécile Chaminade, Delphine von Schauroth, and others. Included will be stunningly gorgeous music by Marianna Martines, who lived in the same circles as Haydn and Mozart, and often joined Mozart in piano duets at the musical soirées she and her sister held in their Viennese home.
A note from the performer:
I began performing this programme after purchasing a disappointingly thin volume of music by female composers about 20 years ago. After reading through the music, I remember shutting the book and thinking to myself, There must be more music than this, and certainly more music of a better quality!. I simply didn’t feel the collection fairly represented the music that had been created by women during the 18th and 19th centuries. So I set off on a musical treasure hunt, searching online, through old collections of music, and in libraries. I have found that good music is getting easier to find as scholars take more of an interest in researching these remarkable women. So, I am constantly refreshing the programme!
I am also continually fascinated by the stories of the strong women behind the music. These are the women who fought for equal pay as their male colleagues, who insisted that they could also have a life and a career outside of the kitchen, who chose to shockingly forgo marriage to be able to fully focus on their art. These are the trailblazers who are an invaluable part of our journey to gender equality.
About the performer:
A classical pianist with a wry wit, Sarah Hagen enjoys a rich and diverse concertising life as both soloist and humorist. Her extensive touring has taken her across Canada, to Europe and across the United States, including twice to New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Highlights of recent seasons include solo sets at Tønder Festival (Denmark), Cambridge Folk Festival (UK), and Mariposa Folk Festival (Canada) and tours in Sweden, the UK, and throughout the USA. Her interpretations have been described as "outstandingly inventive,” [University of Waterloo Gazette] ”played flawlessly,” [Review Vancouver] “with great sensitivity and heart.” [Vernon Morning Star] “We listened in raptures … Sarah Hagen, from Canada, plays exquisitely.” [Cambs News UK]
Her most recent recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations was described “something to absolutely die for” [Whole Note magazine] and was the recipient of two Music PEI awards and two East Coast Music Awards nominations. To accompany the recording, Sarah created 32 original pieces of artwork to reflect the spirit of each movement. The exhibit, entitled “ONENESS,” explores the complex and surprising wonders of a collective global isolation.
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