Bard Conservatory of Music News Archive

Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, No. 1 by Joan Tower, Asher B. Edelman Professor in the Arts and faculty member of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, was performed by the Hope & Harmony Ensemble in honor of the upcoming inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The virtual program begins with Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, celebrating the president-elect. Tower’s Fanfare is then performed in honor of the vice president-elect. This production by Classical Movements was livestreamed on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 19 and can be viewed on the Bard College Conservatory of Music Facebook page. 

Dedicated to adventurous and risk-taking women, Professor Tower composed Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman under the Fanfare Project. It was commissioned by the Houston Symphony, and premiered on January 10, 1987. This work is dedicated to the conductor Marin Alsop, who conducted the January 19 performance. Classical Movements formed the Hope & Harmony Ensemble for this performance. The ensemble comprises 14 professional musicians from orchestras across the country.