“Feminine Fusion” is a weekly radio program that highlights the influence of women in classical music. These are the women throughout history and into the present day who create, perform, and inspire. Composer/announcer Diane Jones of WCNY-FM in Syracuse, NY is your host, and every week showcases some of these remarkable women.
Women are the central, unifying focus of this series. It is important to note, however, that their influence is broad-ranging, crossing the boundaries of culture, race, and gender. Who can know what might have happened to the likes of Aaron Copland, Donald Byrd, or Quincy Jones had they not studied with Nadia Boulanger?
“Had you asked me 10 years ago if I would have introduced a program focused on women in music, I would have said ‘no.’ Growing up in a houseful of brothers, I was always treated as their equal,” says Jones. “But there is still gender bias in the music world. I am anxious for the time when we no longer separate composers from women composers, or conductors from women conductors.”
Some of the individuals highlighted in this program entered the world of the arts knowing they faced opposition, and gathered their strength to face it head on. Others simply took to their chosen path, often unaware of the impact their actions would have. In every case, however, they have touched hearts and souls with their art.
Diane Jones
Diane Jones is the host of Feminine Fusion, aired every week on WCNY-FM. An active composer, she has received commissions from nationally and internationally-recognized musicians and ensembles, as well as completing 5 residencies in Syracuse area schools, introducing young musicians to composition. Diane performs regularly with Samba Laranja and the Central New York Flute Choir, and her music has been featured on two SAMMY-award winning CDs. Follow Diane on Twitter (@ComposerJones) and Facebook (here or here) for more about her programming and her music.
| Air Date | Program Title | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 15 - 20 | Voices Raised, Part 6 | Performances from women's choirs around the world | |
| June 21 - 28 | Strung Along, Part 4 | Performances from women playing strings | |
| June 29 - July 5 | Independence Day | Celebrating US history and achievements | |
| July 6 - 12 | A Little Romance | Works by women from the Romantic era | |
| July 13 - 19 | Patchwork Quilt, Part XLII | No special theme, just wonderful works and performances by women | |
| July 20 - 26 | One Life: Ellen Taaffe Zwillich | A look at the life and music of Ellen Taaffe Zwillich, the first woman to with the Pulitzer Prize in Music | |
| July 27 - Aug 2 | Strings and Things | Women's chamber music featuring strings and...? | |
| Aug 3 - 9 | Taking the Lead | Women at the podium leading the orchestra | |
| Aug 10 - 16 | Always a Classic | Who were the women writing in Haydn and Mozart's time? | |
| Aug 17 - 23 | O, Canada, Part 3 | Let's travel north to hear from women composing and performing in Canada | |
| Aug 24 - 30 | Season 8 Wrap-up | A look back at what we've heard in Season 8 of Feminine Fusion! |
August 31, 2024
“Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.” – Wassily Kandinsky Today we listen to piano music performed or composed by women. It’s all there in black and white! “Black and White, Part 3” Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel: Notturno in G minor Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano “Mendelssohn” Decca Edvard Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 Margarita Höhenrieder, piano “Northern Lights” Solo Musica Anton Diabelli: Theme Lydia Kakabadse: Variation on a Theme by Diabelli John Lenahan, piano “KEFI” Divine Art 21129 Sanja Drakulić: Drive Amier Xhakoviq, piano “The Balkan Piano, Volume One” Toccata Classics 0034 Clarice Assad: Godai, the Five Elements for Speaking Pianist Inna Faliks, piano “Manuscripts Don’t Burn” Sono Luminus Maria Narodytska: After Maria Narodytska, piano “War Poems” Somm 0689 Regina Harris Baiocchi: Piano Poems Sarah […] Read More
August 24, 2024
“I am always looking forward to learn new things in my life.” – Shikhar Dhawan Season 8 has come to a close! On this episode, we look back at some of the highlights of the season, and take a sneak peek at what’s coming up in Season 9. “Season 8 Wrap-up” Cécile Chaminade: Portrait Katherina Kammerloher, mezzo-soprano; Johann Blanchard, piano; Jiyoon Lee, violin “Saisons d’amour” MDG 908-2288 Dani Howard: Symmetry Mainly Two “Live at Listenpony: Mainly Two” Listenpony 001 Kala Ramnath: Aalap and Tarana Hilary Hahn, violin; Cory Smythe, piano “In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores” Deutsche Grammophon 4791725 Cheryl Leonard: Antarctica Cheryl Leonard, electronics “Antarctica: Music From the Ice” Other Minds Records Daniel McDavitt: Locus Iste, I Feel… BYU Women’s Chorus; Jean Appolonie, director “Locus Iste (I Feel…)” BYU Music Group 118 Alice Coltrane, arr. Ashley Jackson: Prema Ashley Jackson, harp; Harlem Chamber Players “Ennanga” Bright Shiny Things […] Read More
August 17, 2024
“Colors and tonality are two attractive resources to me: they form certain mental images that connect to audiences in a very basic way.” – Alice Ping Yee Ho Let’s travel north and hear some of the music being written by these wonderful Canadian composers. “O Canada! Part 3” Vivian Fung: Pizzicato for String Quartet Ying Quartet “Dim Sum” Telarc 80690 Alice Ping Yee Ho: Four Seasons Ballade Véronique Mathieu, violin; Stephanie Chua, piano “Invocation” Navona 6531 Rea Beaumont: Pacific Northwest Set Rea Beaumont, piano “Enjoy the Journey” Shrinking Planet Productions Rebecca Bruton: The Faerie Ribbon Quatour Bozzini; junctQín keyboard collective “a root or mirror, blossom, madder, cracks; together” DAME Lynn Harting-Ware: Variations on O Canada! Lynn Harting-Ware, guitar “Americas” Acoma 5736 Run time: 58:30 Feminine Fusion highlights the roles of women in classical music. Host Diane Jones brings you stories and music of the women who create, […] Read More
August 10, 2024
“Music fills the infinite between two souls.” – Rabindranath Tagore This week we hear from women composing during the Classical era – their names and music often overshadowed and forgotten over time. “Always A Classic” Sophie Gail: Air du Chanoine de Milan, ou Le Souper impromptu Mailys de Villoutreys, soprano; Clara Izambert, piano “Romances d’Empire” Château de Versailles 77 Marianna Martines: Sonata in A Major Margot Dilmaghani, piano “Listen to the Ladies! Four Centuries of Piano Music by Women” Celebration 7 Jane Savage: A Favorite Duett for Two Performers , on One Piano Forte, or Harpsichord Duo Korusa “Piano Duet Music of Marie Jaëll and Jane Savage” Centaur 4006 Anna Bon: Flute Sonata No. 5 Hans-Joachi Fuss, flute; Nicolau de Figuerido, harpsichord; Rene Schiffer, cello “The Baroque Flute” Discover 920256 Maddelena Sirmen: Violin Concerto No. 5 Terry Baune, violin Bay Area Women’s Philharmonic; JoAnn Falletta, conductor “Baroquen Treasures” Newport […] Read More
August 3, 2024
“Women are … better position[ed] on the podium in the coming season than they have been in the past.” – Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy annual survey The goal this week…to introduce you to conductors who are likely unfamiliar to you. These are talented women Taking the Lead with outstanding orchestras. “Taking the Lead” Chengzong Yin, Fei-sheng Xu, Wanghua Chu, Li Hong Sheng, Shucheng Shi, Zhuang Liu: The Yellow River Piano Concerto Chen Jie, piano New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Carolyn Kuan, conductor “The Yellow River Piano Concerto” Marco Polo 8225984 Florence Price: Piano Concerto Sara Davis Buechner, piano Symphony Nova Scotia Holly Mathieson, conductor “Defiant Dances” Leaf Music 2024 Johannes Brahms: Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53 Orquesta y Coro de la Communidad de Madrid Marzena Diakun, conductor “Brahms: Orchestral & Vocal Works” IBS Classical 132023 Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2, Mvt. IV Anna Tsybuleva, piano Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin Ruth Reinhardt, […] Read More
July 27, 2024
“Music is moonlight in the gloomy night of life.” – Jean Paul This week, music for strings – and more. Piano, flute, voice, all lend a bit more to the familiar string ensembles. “Strings and Things” Astor Piazzolla: Oblivion The Ahn Trio “Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac” RCA 20278 Bohuslav Martinů: Trio for flute, cello and piano Trio Frizzante “Waltzin'” Austrian Grammophone 0046 Hilary Tann: In the Theater of Air Marsyas Trio “In the Theater of Air” NMC Recordings 248 Camille Saint-Saëns: Africa Camille Saint-Saëns: Aviary John Williams, Klaus Doldinger, Kurt Weill: Shark Medley Lhasa de Sela: The Love Song to the Luminescent Jellyfish Salut Salon “Carnival Fantasy” Warner Classics Run time: 58:30 Feminine Fusion highlights the roles of women in classical music. Host Diane Jones brings you stories and music of the women who create, perform, and inspire. Produced in the studios at WCNY-FM. Read More
July 20, 2024
“Suddenly all talk of method and style seemed trivial; I became interested in meaning. I wanted to say something, musically, about life and living.” – Ellen Taaffe Zwilich Ellen Taaffe Zwilich was the first woman to earn her Ph.D. in composition from Juilliard, and went on to become the first woman awarded the Pulitzer Prize in music. In this episode, we take a look at the composer and her music. “One Life: Ellen Taaffe Zwilich Upbeat! Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Gil Rose, conductor “Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Symphony No. 5” BMOP Sound Chamber Symphony Louisville Orchestra; Lawrence Leighton Smith, conductor “Ellen Taaffe Zwilich” First Edition Symphony No. 1 (Three Movements for Orchestra) Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; John Nelson, conductor “Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Symphony No 1 and other orchestral works” New World 80336 Quintet for Alto Saxophone and String Quartet Otis Murphy, saxophone; Pacifica Quartet “Contemporary Voices” Cedille 196 Run […] Read More
July 13, 2024
“Each individual is as individual as their fingerprints, and I think that’s extraordinary.” – Annie Lennox Time to add another block to our Patchwork Quilt. Enjoy the great music from women on this episode! “Patchwork Quilt, Part XLII” Rebecca Scout Nelson: Consolation Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 7 Rebecca Scout Nelson, violin “Do Not Lament” Il Pirata Records Geghuni Chitchyan: Sonatina Şahan Arzruni, piano “By Women: piano works by Armenian women composers” AGBU/Positively Armenian Sophia Jani: Six Pieces for Solo Violin Teresa Allgaier, violin “Six Pieces for Solo Violin” Squama Recordings Joanne Baker: Piano Sonata Kristín Jónína Taylor, piano “Midwest Piano Sonatas” Navona 6653 Clarice Assad: The Book of Spells The Meridian Ensemble “The Book of Spells” Navona 6644 Run time: 58:30 Feminine Fusion highlights the roles of women in classical music. Host Diane Jones brings you stories and music of the women who create, perform, and inspire. Produced […] Read More
July 6, 2024
“It must be a sign of talent that I do not give up, though I can get nobody to take an interest in my efforts.” – Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel Most folks know about Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn. But who were their contemporaries? This week, we hear works from some of the other women of the Romantic era. “A Little Romance” Maria Szymanowska: Nocturne in B-flat Major Margot Dilmaghani, piano “Gardens of the Heart” Celebration Recordings Tekla Bądarzewska-Baranowska: The Maiden’s Prayer I Salonisti “The Last Dance: Music for a Vanishing Era” Deutsche Harmonia 77377 Tekla Bądarzewska-Baranowska: The Prayer Granted Robert Silverman, piano “The Parlour Grand, Vol. 2” Marquis Classics 201 Hedwige Chrétien: Scene Rustique Leslie Odom, oboe; Soomee Yoon, piano “Scene Rustique” Ravello Records 7935 Mathilde von Kralik: Sonata in D minor Donne e Doni “Donne e Doni, Volume 2” Musicraft Elfride Andrée: Quintet in E minor Midsummer’s Music “Midsummer’s […] Read More
June 29, 2024
“One can never take for granted, however, the strength of a musical idea.” – Joan Tower In honor of American Independence Day, music by women highlighting the spirit and history of the United States. “Independence Day” Nancy van de Vate: An American Essay, Movt. 3 Koszalin State Philharmonic Orchestra; Chorus Soranus; Szymon Kawalla, conductor “An American Essay: Music for Orchestra and Chorus” Vienna Modern Masters 3025 Margaret Buechner: The Flight of the American Eagle Royal Scottish National Orchestra; John Varineau, conductor “Buechner: Five Symphonic Classics” NordDisc 2030 Barbara Harbach: American Solstice Ensemble Istropolis “Music of Barbara Harbach: Chamber Music I” MSR Classics 1253 Joan Tower: Made in America Nashville Symphony; Leonard Slatkin, conductor “Made in America” Naxos 8559328 Alyssa Reit: American Songs Eastern Brass Quintet “An American Collection” MHS 512491 Run time: 58:30 Feminine Fusion highlights the roles of women in classical music. Host Diane Jones brings you […] Read More
