Smithsonian Associates: Women Who Shaped the Musical World, Lecture 2 – Entrepreneurs, Gurus, Muses, Nurturers

Throughout the history of Western music, men have claimed most of the spotlight and accolades as performers, composers, teachers, impresarios, patrons, and instrument makers. Less attention has been paid to the scores of brilliant creative women who played these roles—along with many others—and who were relegated to the less brightly lit corners of the musical word.

Popular speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin places them center stage as she examines their talent, grit, intellect, and drive, without which many of the most celebrated musical figures might have been significantly less successful, and the musical repertoire far less rich. She brings these women and their often-untold stories to life, showcasing them with live piano performances and historical and contemporary media clips.

British-born Franklin has been a featured speaker for organizations including the Library of Congress and NPR, exploring intersections among classical and jazz music, film scores, and the fine arts.

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When she wasn’t busy building superb instruments for her friend Beethoven, piano maker Nannette Streicher helped him run his hopelessly disorganized household while barely keeping up with her own. George Sand juggled her successful writing career with supporting the endlessly complex needs of her lover Chopin and raising her two children. Cosima Wagner and Alma Mahler both defied social mores and scandalized their contemporaries with their affairs and marriages to powerful older composers, becoming their muses and managers. The brilliant Boulanger sisters, composer Lili and teacher Nadia, influenced the path of modern composition, with composers from across the Western world beating a path to Nadia’s door for her uniquely insightful guidance.