I’m only just getting around to watching this, posted by The Philadelphia Orchestra on Thursday. It’s an hour of remarkable chamber music performances (accomplished virtually, with the musicians playing in their respective homes) of music by women composers.

Featured are some of the usual suspects – Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Philadelphia’s own Jennifer Higdon – but also some delightful surprises from the likes of Elizabeth Raum, Louise Viardot, Felicity Wilcox, Madeleine Dring, Vivian Fung, and Amanda Harberg (with the composer herself at the keyboard). I only wish they could have given us the complete pieces! Be that as it may, it makes for an interesting and enjoyable sampler, with a wide variety of styles.

https://www.philorch.org/virtual/watch

If you’re in a more expansive mood, check out these orchestral performances drawn from concerts of the Philadelphia Orchestra, also including works of three women – Valerie Coleman, Gabriela Lena Frank, and Louise Farrenc – with a nice bonus in the form of Michael Daugherty’s “Reflections on the Mississippi,” featuring as soloist principal tuba Carol Jantsch.

https://www.philorch.org/your-philorch/learn-more/ondemand/womennow-coleman-daugherty-frank-and-farrenc/

I know I’ve written about Farrenc before – the only female on the faculty of the Paris Conservatory in the whole of the 19th century. She’s a gem. But the others deserve your attention, as well.

These performances come your way under the umbrella of the orchestra’s WomenNOW series, an initiative highlighting the contributions of female musicians. You’ll find more information by visiting philorch.org.

PHOTO: Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Philadelphia Orchestra composer-in-residence Gabriela Lena Frank