Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847)
Composer, Performer, and Pianist
Fanny Hensel was a talented musician and notable composer of the 19th century Romantic Era. She was skilled at playing the piano from a young age, and this proficiency translated into artistry when she entered the field of composition. During her lifetime, she wrote nearly 500 compositions for various instrumentations, ranging from solo piano to string quartet to Lieder (vocalist with piano accompaniment). Four hundred sixty-seven of her works have been documented, though it is theorized that she may have written other pieces that have since been lost.
Some of her most significant works include Das Jahr, a musical interpretation of the calendar year and masterpiece for piano, “Schwanenlied” (“Swan Song”), an intricately beautiful Lied, and Overture in C Major, her only discovered orchestral work. Her overture has been performed by numerous prestigious symphonies around the world, such as Belfast’s Ulster Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Fanny Hensel’s compositions have also been featured by various musical institutions around the world for International Women’s Day.
“And so we try to ornament and prettify our lives–that is the advantage of artists, that they can strew such beautifications about, for those nearby to take an interest in.” - Fanny Hensel
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