many people know about schumann and mendelssohn - clara and fanny, that is. their famous surnames make them easy to remember, which is not to acknowledge that they were both exceptional individuals. clara's achievements as one of the greatest pianists of the 19^th century is well documented. only recently have we got to know her highly expressive voice as a composer. fanny sustained a musical life despite considerable discouragement; her compositions, which she wrote for her own sunday musicales, demonstrate an energetic and adventurous nature. 

living and working in ireland, i have always wanted to devote some time and energy to the music of women composers of this country, and to bring their works to a larger audience. as with most contemporary music, finding receptive listeners and audiences is always challenging, least of all because its difficult to slot the music into a particular genre. "classical" audiences may be receptive enough, but will nearly always prefer the more familiar music. since this music doesn't fall into the "pop, rock, folk, indie, dance, hip hop" category that most other new music generally falls into , and since most of it is challenging to perform live, it rules out even more instances where it can be presented to a live audience. i feel that as a performer, educator and broadcaster, i can play a small part in bringing this diverse musical output to a larger audience, to those who attend lecture-recitals i perform or present, to audiences in other parts of the world including india and canada, through my radio program and through my own students and the students i encounter in masterclasses and music festivals.