Women Composers
For centuries it was unusual for women to be composers, but times have changed.

Libby Larsen (b. 1950)

Although born in Wilmington, Delaware, Libby Larsen has become firmly entrenched in Minnesota. Not only yas she obtained three degrees in music from the University of Minnesota, she has also helped to found the Minnesota Composers Forum and in the mid-1980s was resident composer with the Minnesota Orchestra. One of the most vibrant influences on the musical scene today, Larsen is convinced of the need to widen the boundaries of what is considered classical music, both in the sorts of techniques used in musical composition and in the venues in which it is heard. She is a tireless advocate for musical education and has worked as a producer of recordings as well. She has been very prolific and has received many commissions, writing large-scale symphonic and operatic works as well as chamber works and vocal music, some of which incorporate electronic music and techniques drawn from film music. Through all her many works she retains an interest in lyricism, extra-musical imagery, and the ability to draw on many musical styles in order to give listeners a point of orientation.

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