Miami University Symphony Orchestra Presents “Women in Music — A Celebration of Women Composers”
Nationally recognized symphony celebrates Women in Music in final 2025 concert
Miami University Symphony Orchestra Presents “Women in Music — A Celebration of Women Composers”
Fresh off being awarded the 2025 American Prize in Orchestra Performance, the Miami University Symphony Orchestra (MUSO) returns to the stage to present Women in Music — A Celebration of Female Composers on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in Hall Auditorium.
This marks the community’s first opportunity to hear the orchestra following its historic national recognition. Supported by a competitive grant from Miami University’s Women’s Circle, this landmark performance will feature an all-female program highlighting some of the most compelling voices in orchestral music—Ruth Gipps, Jennifer Higdon, Helen Hagan, and Sonia Morales-Matos.
Pre-Concert Lecture with Tammy Kernodle, Ph.D.
A special addition to the evening will be a pre-concert lecture by Tammy Kernodle, Ph.D., held from 6:30–7 p.m. in the Green Room of Hall Auditorium. Kernodle is the University Distinguished Professor of Musicology at Miami University, a globally recognized scholar of African American music, women in music, and the modern classical and jazz traditions. She is a former President of the Society for American Music and serves as one of the country’s leading experts on Florence Price, Mary Lou Williams, and the intersection of gender, race, and musical identity. Her lecture will provide essential historical and cultural context for the works performed in the concert, helping audiences better understand the challenges women composers have faced—and the lasting impact of their contributions. Kernodle’s presence underscores the educational mission of this event, deepening the community’s engagement with the music and amplifying the voices of the remarkable women whose works will be performed.
Concert Program Highlights
The evening will include Jennifer Higdon’s Blue Cathedral, one of the most frequently performed works by any living composer worldwide. Known for its luminous sonorities and deeply affecting emotional arc, Blue Cathedral has become a modern orchestral classic performed by leading ensembles across the globe. A major highlight of the concert will be Helen Hagan’s Piano Concerto in C minor, performed by internationally acclaimed pianist Michael Chertock, Chair of the Piano Department at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Chertock has appeared as a soloist with the Boston Pops, Cincinnati Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, and many others, and is widely celebrated for his expressive artistry and versatility.
The program also includes Ruth Gipps’s evocative Seascape and Sonia Morales-Matos’s vibrant Fiesta No. 3. Morales-Matos, a distinguished composer and performer with an international career spanning both classical and Latin traditions, will be in attendance for the performance. This concert continues MUSO’s tradition of imaginative programming that provides students and audiences with rich artistic experiences throughout the year—from the popular Halloween Concert and annual Concerto Competition to the Undergraduate Composition Competition, film and multimedia performances, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
The concert is free and open to the public.
Event Details
Women in Music — A Celebration of Women Composers featuring the Miami University Symphony Orchestra
Ricardo Averbach, Conductor; Michael Chertock, Pianist
Pre-Concert Lecture: Tammy Kernodle, Ph.D. — 6:30–7 p.m. Green Room, Hall Auditorium
Concert: Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 — 7:30 p.m. Hall Auditorium, Miami University Free and open to the public
