Leah Broad

Brilliant talk from @leahbroad.bsky.social all about Avril Coleridge-Taylor, Women's music-making in WWII, and issues in biography. All hosted by the Boulanger Initiative!

Women in Wartime with Dr. Leah Broad | Boulanger Initiative When Avril Coleridge-Taylor tried to make sense of the events unfolding around her during World War II, she responded in the only way that made sense to her — through composing. By the war’s end she h...

I'm talking about Avril Coleridge-Taylor online at 9pm this evening! Please come along and ask me lots of questions about women's compositions in World War II - this is the first outing for ideas from my next book so would love thoughts :D www.boulangerinitiative.org/virtual-even...

🥳🥳🥳 4.5 stars for Avril Coleridge-Taylor's Piano Concerto and Orchestral Works
@jkaconductor.bsky.social @leahbroad.bsky.social

Returning to @jkaconductor.bsky.social, the BBC Orchestra, and pianist Samantha Ege's outstanding Avril Coleridge-Taylor album from 2025

It's a terrific recording highlighting an unheralded composer - congrats to John, Samantha, and @leahbroad.bsky.social (who did critical work behind the scenes!)

"Hearing all her orchestral works on one sweep is an enjoyable experience...The BBC Philharmonic and John Andrews are on excellent form and the whole project has been brought together with great care by Ege, Andrews and @leahbroad.bsky.social. A Valuable Achievement" ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (BBC Music Magazine)

“This recording demonstrates that she should indeed have been considered one of Britain’s important composers during the mid 20th century.” @leahbroad.bsky.social

Sunday Feature - Reeking of Cowpats - Peer Gynt - BBC Sounds 150 years on, how have Ibsen’s play and Grieg’s incidental music stood the test of time?

Now online, my new programme for BBC Radio 3 explores how Ibsen's Peer Gynt and the incidental music by Edvard Grieg have stood the test of time. Fronted by the brilliant @leahbroad.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

“This album makes a persuasive case in favour of the music… and the Piano Concerto in particular is a fine piece, and takes its place alongside other Resonus issues celebrating neglected 20th century female British composers.” #AvrilColeridgeTaylor #SmanthaEge @leahbroad.bsky.social

Lovely mention in The @telegraph.co.uk for our concert on 15 March at he RNCM with Alexandra Dariescu and the Manchester Camerata, introduced by @leahbroad.bsky.social

“But there’s no market for women composers…” Let’s retire this tired idea please.

**NEW POST**

This week on women composers and "marketability", and why the idea that there's no market for women composers is nonsense. If somebody says this, what they actually mean is THEY don't know enough about the music to know how to market it.

leahbroad.substack.com/p/but-theres...

We're ALBUM OF THE WEEK on Essential Classics. Tune in to Radio 3 every morning this week around 10.30am GMT for a track from the album. Today it was the "Comet Prelude' - literally composed in mid-air during AC-T's flight to South Africa. @leahbroad.bsky.social

“But there’s no market for women composers…” Let’s retire this tired idea please.

“But there’s no market for women composers…”

(I bought this album of Avril Coleridge-Taylor’s music on CD on the day of release, and I absolutely love it. It’s all new to me, and I’m sorry I’ve had to wait so long)

via @leahbroad.bsky.social

open.substack.com/pub/leahbroa...

“But there’s no market for women composers…” Let’s retire this tired idea please.

Highly recommend former FLA guest @leahbroad.bsky.social's blog posts. This one's about composer Avril Coleridge-Taylor (1903-98), and an excellent new disc of recordings, notably her piano concerto. Lots of links to music, essays and broadcasts.
leahbroad.substack.com/p/but-theres...

AVRIL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR IS IN THE CLASSICAL CHARTS 😎😍

And we're in the Charts! The succulent filling in a John Wilson sandwich.... @leahbroad.bsky.social

My favourite picture of the evening…

What an incredible week it has been for Avril Coleridge-Taylor. Thank you so much to everyone who has bought, streamed, or downloaded the album, & who came to launch it with us. If you would like info about programming her music, please do contact me!!

Ah thank you for listening!! Sympathy on the cold front, I also got struck down by whatever miserable plague is doing the rounds...

Finally some time* to sit and listen to this several times properly. To think that this music could so easily have been forgotten. Amazing work by Leah Broad and everyone involved!

(*The first cold virus of the winter seems to be a bit of a thug)

Listening to this now. Some wonderful music here - strongly recommended. 🎶

Really enjoying the Piano Concerto 👍

#AlbumTherapy Avril Coleridge-Taylor, _Piano Concertos & Orchestral Works_

music.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg90...

Having been lucky enough to do the preparatory rehearsal conducting @rcmlondon.bsky.social for ‘To April’, can vouch for the excellence of this under-appreciated music. Chapeau to @leahbroad.bsky.social and @tomedney.bsky.social 👏👏👏

It’s finally here!

Wonderful composer! I'm so glad this album of music by Avril Coleridge-Taylor has finally been released. It's beautiful! 😍

I am so excited for this album to arrive! I mentioned it in, and interviewed Dr. Ege and Dr. Broad for, this NPR piece on Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's 150th anniversary back in August

Congratulations to @jkaconductor.bsky.social, @leahbroad.bsky.social, and Samantha Ege!

www.npr.org/2025/08/14/n...

Thank you so much!

Performing a viola & piano programme of all British 🇬🇧 women composers: Minna Keal, Freda Swain & Rebecca Clarke (of course). With violist Jenny Lewisohn in Harlow, Essex. Tomorrow Friday 21st Nov, 1pm

The five new classical albums to hear this week – featuring Víkingur Ólafsson and Nicola Benedetti This week sees new recordings of Beethoven's piano sonatas, Schubert's piano duets, and orchestral music by Avril Coleridge-Taylor

Avril Coleridge-Taylor is one of Gramophone's five recommended albums for this week!! Right up there alongside Vikingur Olafsson & Nicola Benedetti, she would have LOVED that @jkaconductor.bsky.social @resonus.bsky.social www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-mu...

Out of the shadows: why Avril Coleridge-Taylor deserves to be heard The daughter of the British composer Samuel made controversial choices that took her on a different path to her father’s activism. Ahead of the premiere recording of her piano concerto, its soloist lo...

Why does Avril Coleridge-Taylor deserve to be heard? Samantha Ege writes about her experience playing the Piano Concerto, out today on @resonus.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...