Dr. Susan Pickett and the Tale of "Missing" Women Classical Composers Pt. 1

Rad People I Know

Where are all the women classical composers? It’s easy to think that they don’t exist, but of course, that isn’t the case. Ask any music student and they may only be able to identify a handful of classical women composers.

Meet Dr. Susan Pickett, one of my music professors from Whitman College. Dr. Pickett is a remarkable violinist, accomplished musicologist and gifted professor, with an impressive background that includes degrees from Occidental College and Indiana University, and a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University.

As a violinist, Dr. Pickett has studied with some of the most respected names in the field, including John Browning Sr., Franco Gulli, and James Barber. She is also an avid musicologist and has dedicated years of research to uncovering the lives and works of underrepresented women composers. You will hear some of these astonishing works on this podcast. One particular work worth mentioning is the Piano Quintet No. 1, by Louise Farrenc, which is a worthy equal to Schumann’s Trout Quintet. Dr. Pickett single-handedly uncovered this work!Where are all the women classical composers? It’s easy to think that they don’t exist, but of course, that isn’t the case. Ask any music student and they may only be able to identify a handful of classical women composers.