The Board of Lady Managers of the World’s Columbian Exposition commissioned Beach to compose her Festival Jubilate (Op. 17) for the dedication of the Woman’s Building in October of 1892. This was her first commissioned work and reportedly is the first known work of an American woman composer commissioned in the U.S.
“Why Amy Beach Matters” is the title of a lecture and musical performance to be held on March 23 and 25 in the Boston area. Musicologist Liane Curtis, violinist Carol Cubberley, and pianist Sandy Lin will introduce the audience to this little-known 19th-century American woman composer, acclaimed in her lifetime but unrecognized for decades, until recently.
The presentation will feature Beach’s Romance (Op. 23), which she composed for famed violinist Maud Powell. They premiered the piece together at the World’s Fair on July 6, 1893, during the Women’s Musical Congress.
“Why Amy Beach Matters” is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on March 23, 2018, in Volunteers Hall in Harvard, Massachusetts. The concert is free and open to the public. Another performance will be held on March 25 at Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston.
[Some information provided by the Harvard Press.]
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