Parker Symphony Orchestra: Awe-Inspiring American Women

Parker Symphony Orchestra: Awe-Inspiring American Women

The Parker Symphony Orchestra takes the PACE stage in their second concert of the season, Awe-Inspiring American Women, February 20, 2026.

Join the PSO as we celebrate early and contemporary female American composers and the integral role played by women in American symphonic history. Selections include compositions by Florence Price, Joan Tower, and other leading figures who have pushed boundaries and continue to shape the sound of American music, inspiring generations of composers.

 Parker Symphony Orchestra: Awe-Inspiring American Women

• Joan Tower – Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman #1 (Brass)
• Carolyn Shaw – Entr’acte (Strings)
• Valerie Coleman – Umoja (Woodwind Quintet)
• Amy Beach – Symphony in E Minor, Op. 32, “Gaelic” (III. Lento con molto espressione)
• Florence Price – Symphony #1

Composer Bios:

Joan Tower (born 1938) Joan was a recipient of several Grammy® awards and one of the most successful female composers of all time. Her Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman was composed in response to Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man.

Carolyn Shaw (born 1982) Carolyn was the winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for music, and won Grammy® awards for her compositions, both vocal and instrumental.

Valerie Coleman (born 1970) The first living African American woman to have a work commissioned and performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Valerie was named one of the “Top 35 Women Composers” in the Washington Post in 2019.

Amy Beach (born 1867) Amy was the first female composer of large-scale art music. Premiering in 1897 by the Boston Symphony, her “Gaelic” symphony was the first to be composed and published by an American female composer.

Florence Price (born 1867) Florence was the first African American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer and to have a composition performed by a major orchestra. Her Symphony #1 was premiered by the Chicago Symphony in 1933.