Program notes

Amy Beach (1867-1944) was a prodigious pianist and had a busy concert schedule as a child, but this ended when she married at 18. Her husband didn't let her perform anymore (her income would be inappropriately bigger than his) so she turned her energy to composition. She turned out to be brilliant at this too, and in 1896 the Boston Symphony Orchestra played her Gaelic Symphony, the first ever symphony by an American woman.

She played the piano part herself at the 1908 premiere of this Piano Quintet in F# Minor. Like much of her music, it is emotional and full of contrasts - stormy, dreamy and unapologetically romantic.

Photos by Caroline Bittencourt.