Ella Adaïewsky

Ground-breaking pianist, composer, musicologist

(1846-1926)

Initially using a male pen name (E. Adaiewsky) , she wrote works for the Russian orthodox church, two operas, chamber works, a violin sonata with microtonal elements in the 1880s, and dozens of distinctive art songs and choral works in German, Russian, French, Italian and Latin. Obtained a massive scholarship that preceeded her classmate Tchaikovsky. Received a secret 50-year pension from the admiring Tsar Alexander II. She wrote one of the earliest works of ethnomusicology on the music of the Resian people and was a repeated author of articles in Rivista musicale italiana. Championed by Liszt and Gounod. Known by Brahms. Played four-hand piano with Clara Schumann. And yet, widely unknown today.

Let’s change that.