2023 Festival:
Friday & Saturday, March 17th & 18th
Trinity College – Gruss Music Center
Hartford, Connecticut
Missed the Festival? Register for Virtual Admission to view all Festival events through Monday, March 20th, 2023.
Including our Music Marathon, Scholarly Symposium, Emerging Composers Workshop, and our Feature Concert with Ensemble-in-Residence Chartreuse, Composer-in-Residence Maria Kaoutzani, and the winners of our international Call for Scores (Geli Li and Sofia Scheps).
In celebration of our first In-Person Festival since 2019, we are offering audience admission at $20 per person per day. Friday’s events include Scholarly Symposium and Emerging Composers Workshop and Saturday’s events include the Music Marathon and the Feature Concert.
Children under 16 admitted free.
Virtual viewing of the entire Festival is $30.
WCFH does not turn anyone away due to the inability to pay.
You can register in advance or pay at the door.
Information about recommended hotels can be found on the 2023 Festival page.
2023 Festival Schedule:
Friday, March 17th, 2023:
12:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Scholarly Symposium
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Networking Break
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm, Emerging Composers Workshop
Saturday, March 18th, 2023:
9:00 am – 5:30pm, Music Marathon
9:00 am, Session I
10:30 am, Break for Networking & Lunch
12:30 pm, Session II
2:30 pm, Break
3:00 pm, Session III
7:00 pm, Reception
7:30 pm, Feature Concert with Chartreuse
2023 Ensemble-in-Residence:
Chartreuse Trio
Chartreuse string trio is violinist Myra Hinrichs, violist Carrie Frey, and cellist Helen Newby. Uniquely committed to repeat performances and developing the string trio repertoire through adventurous commissions, Chartreuse has premiered works by dozens of composers and toured extensively in the U.S. Northeast, Midwest, and California, as well as in Norway. Cleveland Classical described the trio in concert as “a maelstrom almost tactile in its grittiness” and “as much fun to watch as to listen to.”
Read more about Chartreuse here!
2023 Composer-in-Residence:
Maria Kaoutzani
Maria Kaoutzani is a composer from Limassol, Cyprus. She is currently Visiting assistant professor at Knox College and completing her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago.
From taking a walk in the park to watching the news, Maria finds inspiration in all types of environments and spends a lot of time seeking fresh new sounds for her compositions. Her love for Greek music also provides her with a great source of inspiration. Other significant influences include the music of Kaija Saariaho, György Ligeti, and Tania León. Maria was also influenced by her move to New York City as a student, where she learned how to appreciate the diverse musical styles she was exposed to.
Read more about Maria here!
The Women Composers Festival of Hartford promotes the music of contemporary and historical women composers.
The WCFH embraces diversity of race, ethnicity, and ability, and empowers artists from underrepresented groups who identify as women, including transgender and gender-fluid individuals, women of color, indigenous groups, LGBTQ, and the differently abled.
When you make a tax-deductible donation to the Women Composers Festival of Hartford, your money directly supports the creation, promotion, and performance of women’s music.
Women Composer HerStory
December 2022: Letitia Berlin Interviews Frances Blaker
This series is hosted by Artistic Chair Melika M. Fitzhugh. If you would like to submit a video or topic for consideration, please use the Contact page to get in touch with us!
Check out the rest of the Women Composer HerStory series!
Spotlight:
Previous Festival Awardees
Whistling Hens’ debut album, Reacting to the Landscape, includes nine world premiere recordings of works by seven living American women composers. Showcasing five commissions, soprano Jennifer Piazza-Pick and clarinetist Natalie Groom masterfully present a wide variety of styles, sounds, and stories.
The album title, Reacting to the Landscape, comes from an interview with former Baltimore Symphony Orchestra conductor Marin Alsop (the first female to lead a major orchestra in the U.S.).
Read more about the Whistling Hens and their album on our Spotlight page, and you can purchase the album here.
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