Hanau celebrates female composers: diverse concerts in Congress Park!

Hanau celebrates female composers: diverse concerts in Congress Park!

There will also be a big performance in the Congress Park Hanau next season. The “Congress Park Symphonies” series places a clear focus on the works of women. From October 18th, the event hall will be transformed into a place of cultural diversity, which was very well received by over 2,500 classical music lovers last year. Half of the visitors are loyal subscribers who get particularly good value with a 10% discount on the chamber concerts.

In the upcoming concerts, the musical works of female composers will be brought into the spotlight. Chief conductor Jens Troester was enthusiastic about this approach, which ensures that often overlooked compositions by women are given a prominent place in the program. After all, the majority of great classical works originate from male composers, but that will change in this context.

Diverse programs

The start of the new season begins with Grazyna Bacewicz's “Uwertuna” and is immediately followed by a Christmas concert on December 13th. The program here includes Tchaikovsky's popular “Nutcracker” and a fantasy about “Silent Night”. There will also be another highlight on August 2nd at the “Hanauer Sommernacht” entitled “Aquamania – boozy hydropower”.

The chamber concert on November 9th will also include a baroque concert, before the series entitled “Sound of Women” reaches its special climax on February 8th and presents works by influential female composers.

Insight into the world of female composers

The history of women composers is marked by numerous challenges. For a long time, women were denied access to training and professional composition, particularly in socio-cultural contexts. Systematic research into their biographies and works only began in the late 20th century. However, well-known names such as Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn and Hildegard von Bingen helped pave the way for future generations. These pioneers left an impressive legacy in music history and forced change in a predominantly male-dominated art world.

• Clara Schumann (1819-1896): Berühmte Pianistin und Komponistin.
• Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847): Geschätzte Komponistin der Romantik.
• Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179): Pionierin mit liturgischen Kompositionen.
• Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979): Einflusreiche Dirigentin und Lehrerin.
• Lili Boulanger (1893-1918): Die erste Frau, die den Prix de Rome gewann.

These impressive women represent many whose works were often overshadowed by their male colleagues and are now being honored in Hanau. Subscribers can enjoy the symphony concerts at prices between 38 and 55 euros, with introductory lectures at 6:30 p.m. preceding the concerts, which begin at 7:30 p.m.

The Congress Park in Hanau invites you on a musical journey of discovery that is not only part of the cultural landscape of Hesse, but also redefines our view of the role of women in classical music history. The mix of tradition and innovation – the initiative to give female composers more visibility is clearly very important.

For tickets and further information about the program, those interested can visit here. And for a deeper insight into the world of female composers, it is worth taking a look at the list of female composers and the 10 most important women in classical music Music. Let the musical adventure begin!