Click a name to read about a fabulous female instrumentalist and hear her play!

Yvonne "Dixie" Fasnacht

(1910 -- 2011)

Jazz clarinet, vocals,

night club owner

"The Mardi Gras is never over."

-- Dixie Fasnacht

Anat Cohen

(1975 --    )

Jazz clarinet, saxophone, composer

"Music has no borders and no flags."

-- Anat Cohen

Lillian “Lil” Hardin 

(1898 -- 1971)

First lady of jazz

Pianist, song writer, singer, recording artist, band leader 

Evelyn Glennie

(1965 --     )

First percussionist,

male or female, to create and sustain an international solo career

Find recordings of these women in the search box!

Regina Carter(1963 --     )

Jazz violinist, 

MacArthur grant recipient

Maud Powell

(1867 -- 1920)

Pioneer concert violinist,

RCA recording star 

Antonia Brico 

(1902 - 1989)

First female conductor to win

international fame

Marin Alsop 

(1956 --     )

First female Music Director of a major

U.S. orchestra

(Baltimore Symphony)

Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra

(1993 --    ) 

Based in NYC

Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles

(1994 --     )

Right: debut performance at the Hollywood Bowl 

Featured Women 2008

Terri Lyne Carrington

(1965 --     )

Percussionist, composer,

recording artist,

record producer

Doriot Anthony Dwyer 

(1922 --     )

First woman to win a principal chair in a major U.S. orchestra; Principal Flute, Boston Symphony Orchestra (1952 -- 1990)

Find recordings by

these women

in the search box!

International Sweethearts of Rhythm

(1937 -- 1955)

  Includes profiles of

Vi Burnside, tenor sax Pauline Braddy, drums

Tiny Davis, trumpet

Carlene Ray, guitar

Toshiko Akiyoshi 

(1926 --     )

Jazz pianist,

recording artist,

big-band composer

and band leader

Edna White

(1892 -- 1992) 

One of the foremost trumpet soloists of the early 20th Century

Melba Liston 

(1926 - 1999)

Jazz trombonist, composer, arranger

Paved the way for other jazzwomen  instrumentalists

Now you can hear historic recordings by Edna White  

And her

Suite for Solo Trumpet and Orchestra!

Visit Susan's Comments Page 

See what others are saying about these fabulous women!

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