Sharing untold stories of women in music history
These Western scholars are amplifying the impact made by composer Ann Southam, singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell and poet Hildegard Jone
As the world marks Women’s History Month, Emily Abrams Ansari feels it’s a fitting time to bring attention to women who’ve made significant—and largely unrecognized— contributions to music history.
“There are so many stories of women in music history that remain untold,” said Ansari, a professor of music history in the music and research composition (MRC) department and assistant dean of research at the Don Wright Faculty of Music.
She and her colleagues, professors Norma Coates and Catherine Nolan, are working to change that, through their respective studies on Canadian composer Ann Southam, singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell and poet Hildegard Jone, whose lyrical works inspired the music of Austrian composer Anton Webern.
Ansari said this research is especially noteworthy “during these tumultuous times,” when women’s rights and gender equity issues are facing serious political backlash in Canada and abroad.
“At this moment, when EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) is under attack, it’s significant the three full-time women faculty in this department are studying the impact these three important women have made on music history in the West,” Ansari said.
Western News invited Ansari, Coates and Nolan to share insights into the lives and work of the women inspiring their research.
Read full article (by Keri Ferguson, via Western News, March 19, 2025)
Photo credit: Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications
