COMPOSER OF THE YEAR ARCHIVE
Mel Bonis
2023 Composer of the Year
Mélanie Hélène Bonis (January 21, 1858 - March 18, 1937) was a French composer, pianist, and organist. Born in Paris, Bonis taught herself to play piano before being admitted to the Conservatoire de Paris by organ professor and notable composer César Franck. At the Conservatoire, she studied alongside Claude Debussy and published her first piece of music under the pen name “Mel Bonis” in order to obscure her gender.
Viewing music as an unsuitable career, her parents rejected a proposal of marriage from a fellow musician and withdrew Bonis from the Conservatoire. Although she was forced into an arranged marriage, Bonis continued to compose and produced many of her best known works from 1900-1914. The onslaught of World War I hindered Bonis’ composing but she returned to music in her later years, composing primarily religious music for organ and choir.
PAST Events
Mel Bonis Femmes de Légende
Friday, April 12 at 7:00 pm
Woman's Club of Louisville
1320 S 4th St, Louisville, KY 40208
Overview:
To celebrate the work of Mel Bonis, LAM’s 2023-2024 Composer of the Year, LAM partners with Kentucky Shakespeare for an evening telling the story of seven “legendary women.” Female students and teachers will perform each movement of this cycle, and actresses from KY Shakespeare will perform monologues based on each mythical figure. We hope that this evening will call attention to Bonis, who unfairly fought against gender barriers in making her voice heard through music. Her story is not mythical, but perhaps in time, she too will be acknowledged as a “legendary woman.”
Florence Price
2022 Composer of the Year
Florence Beatrice Price (April 9, 1887 – June 3, 1953) was an American classical composer, pianist, organist and music teacher. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Price was educated at the New England Conservatory of Music, and was active in Chicago from 1927 until her death in 1953. Price is noted as the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer, and the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra. Price composed over 300 works: four symphonies, four concertos, as well as choral works, plus art songs, and music for chamber and solo instruments. In 2009, a substantial collection of her works and papers was found in her abandoned summer home.
Check out this playlist featuring Price’s music!
Past Events
THE LAM FLORENCE PRICE FEST
3 Free Community Events in collaboration with our community partners
WHO IS FLORENCE PRICE?
MARCH 4TH, LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, MAIN BRANCH
2 - 3:30 PM
Ed White, Founder and Executive Director of Louisville’s River City Drum Corps, will lead a reading session of the book “Who is Florence Price?,” written by the students of the SP Kaufman Music Center. After the reading, the Louisville Academy of Music will lead an interactive musical event for families and then conclude with the performance of a composition written by Florence Price. This event is great for students of all ages!
301 York St, Louisville, KY 40203
FLORENCE PRICE MUSICAL SHOWCASE
MARCH 12TH, SPEED MUSEUM
2 - 4 PM
The Louisville Academy of Music will perform a musical showcase in which both students and faculty will perform the works of Florence Price in the atrium of the Speed Museum!
2035 S 3rd St, Louisville, KY 40208
THE LIFE & WORK OF COMPOSER FLORENCE PRICE
MARCH 18TH, SIMMONS COLLEGE, HERITAGE ROOM
3 - 4:30 PM
Douglas Shadle and Kori Hill will lead lectures and Q&As about the life and work of composer Florence Price. Performances will include musicians from both the Louisville Academy of Music and the Simmons college faculty.
1018 S 7th St, Louisville, KY 40203