“She was a composer and a pioneering conductor—the first woman to lead performances by top orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra,” writes Michael Cooper in Monday’s (3/2) New York Times. “And she was one of the most influential music teachers of the 20th century, shaping a roster of composers including Aaron Copland, Quincy Jones, Astor Piazzolla and Virgil Thomson. Now, Nadia Boulanger is posthumously breaking another barrier: This summer she will become the first woman whose work is explored by the three-decade-old Bard Music Festival. This summer’s festival, ‘Nadia Boulanger and Her World,’ will explore [her] life and legacy.” The festival takes place at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. “The festival will feature performances of works by her teachers and mentors; several of her own rarely-heard compositions; early music by Monteverdi, whose revival she championed; and an exploration of her legacy through works by some of her most illustrious students.… Other highlights … include ‘Most Happy,’ a setting of songs from Frank Loesser’s ‘The Most Happy Fella,’ … two dance works from New York City Ballet Moves … ; and the first fully staged American production of Ernest Chausson’s opera ‘King Arthur.’ ”
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