KOMPONISTINNEN

When Leipzig pianist Kyra Steckeweh realized that her repertoire almost exclusively consisted of music composed by men, she began searching for pieces written by female composers. With her selection, she has brought to our attention and delight four very different composers, all of whom left a diverse body of work.

Besides examining the music, Steckeweh as a pianist and historian seeks to look “behind the notes”. How did these women live? What barriers did they have to overcome? How did they manage to cope with the obstacles of their time? Together with Berlin filmmaker Tim van Beveren, the pianist commences a quest for information, which leads them to France, Italy, Poland, and Germany. These are the places where Mel Bonis, Lili Boulanger, Fanny Hensel and Emilie Mayer did live and work.