Louise Farrenc: Rediscovering a Musical Trailblazer

On 12 September 2025, musicians from the Corelia Project will be performing a programme celebrating the wonderful composer Louise Farrenc. The concert marks 150 years since her death (almost to the day) and we believe that this is a composer whose life and works deserve wider recognition.

Farrenc (née Dumont, 1804–1875) was a French composer and pianist who carved out a remarkable career in a world that rarely gave women the same opportunities as men. Training under Anton Reicha from the age of 15, she quickly proved herself to be a master of form, colour, and musical storytelling. Undeterred by the expectation that women should compose, if anything, small-scale pieces (think: piano miniatures and songs) for domestic entertainment, Farrenc boasts two orchestral overtures and three symphonies to her name. And, of course, here at Corelia HQ we are most excited about her output of superb chamber music.

Her music is vibrant, lyrical, and full of character. One of her standout chamber pieces is the Nonet for winds and strings: a stunning work that caused such a stir at its premiere that Farrenc, after years of single-handed campaigning, finally won equal pay at the Paris Conservatoire, where she was the only woman to hold a permanent professorship in the entire century. That alone tells you something about her determination and the quality of her work.

And yet, as with so many women composers, after her death Farrenc’s music slipped out of the spotlight. While many of her male contemporaries remained fixtures of classical concert programmes, Farrenc was almost forgotten. It’s only in recent decades that performers and audiences have started to rediscover her, and we are all the richer for it. Her works combine Romantic passion with razor-sharp craftsmanship, and they sound as fresh today as when they were written.

We’re delighted to share her music in a concert at St Martin-in-the-Fields in this anniversary year, and we hope you can join us there!

🎟️ Book tickets here

🔎 Discover more about Farrenc on the Corelia Project database