Composer Rebecca Clarke (1886 - 1979) was a trailblazer for proficient female musicians and composers of the Victorian era. Despite living when professional musicianship, particularly the realm of composition, was largely considered the male domain, the UK-native and professional violist enjoyed a successful music career. She also stands as a beacon of light and inspiration, proving that sometimes life’s largest struggles are intrinsically linked to life’s greatest joys. In addition to having enjoyed a successful career as a violist, one of Rebecca Clarke’s “greatest joys” (or, as she put it, “my one little whiff of success”) was when her viola sonata tied for first place in a 1919 competition hosted by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. Over the course of her career, Clarke wrote more than 100 pieces but published just over 20 of them. Her greatest legacy is a successful female violist who spanned the Romantic and Modern music periods and earned a reputable legacy for her passionate and powerful works.
Over the course of her career, Clarke wrote more than 100 pieces
