Passing the baton to female conductors
When the National Concert Hall linked up last year with Grant Thornton and world-famous British conductor Alice Farnham to introduce an inaugural female conductor programme for 12 suitable candidates, it was a truly groundbreaking venture for music in Ireland
Whenever you think of Sweden and music, I bet ABBA spring to mind first. But never Elfrida Andrée, a Swedish musician who is an icon for aspiring women musicians everywhere.
Andrée (1841-1929) was an organist from Gothenburg who composed everything from chamber to symphonic and religious to opera. She also conducted orchestras and ensembles, and - not surprisingly - found time to be a suffragette as well.
Fast-forward, then, and dwell on the ...