YouTube Recording – You will be sent a link to a private playlist containing all sessions from Fall 2020 within 48 hours during standard office hours.

Throughout the history of classical music, dating back to before the Middle Ages, there have been significant women composers who have produced works of lasting value.  Beginning in the 19th century the number of women composers increased greatly, and the last hundred years have seen a great flowering of women who compose.  However, their works are still rarely heard in the concert hall.  In this course we will discuss their lives and hear their music.  We will begin with the great 10th century abbess Hildegard von Bingen, continue with the trouveres (women troubadors) of the Middle Ages, and hear from Barbara Strozzi (Italian), Fanny Mendelssohn (German), Clara Schumann (German), Amy Beach (American), Nadia Boulanger (French), and such contemporary composers as Joan Tower (American).  We hope you can help us celebrate these great women composers and appreciate the significant contributions they have made to music.

Instructor:  Don Dagenais is a longtime classical music and opera aficionado.  He has served on the boards of many local music organizations and has been president of most of them, including the Lyric Opera, Summerfest, Kansas City Symphony Alliance, Kansas City Chamber Orchestra and UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. For over ten years he has chaired the Lyric Opera Guild opera travel program.  He is semi-retired as a real estate attorney from Lathrop Gage and lives in Kansas City with his wife Patricia, also a classical music fan.  They have two grown daughters and two grandchildren.