“Feminine Fusion” is a weekly radio program that highlights the influence of women in classical music. These are the women throughout history and into the present day who create, perform, and inspire. Composer/announcer Diane Jones of WCNY-FM in Syracuse, NY is your host, and every week showcases some of these remarkable women.
Women are the central, unifying focus of this series. It is important to note, however, that their influence is broad-ranging, crossing the boundaries of culture, race, and gender. Who can know what might have happened to the likes of Aaron Copland, Donald Byrd, or Quincy Jones had they not studied with Nadia Boulanger?
“Had you asked me 10 years ago if I would have introduced a program focused on women in music, I would have said ‘no.’ Growing up in a houseful of brothers, I was always treated as their equal,” says Jones. “But there is still gender bias in the music world. I am anxious for the time when we no longer separate composers from women composers, or conductors from women conductors.”
Some of the individuals highlighted in this program entered the world of the arts knowing they faced opposition, and gathered their strength to face it head on. Others simply took to their chosen path, often unaware of the impact their actions would have. In every case, however, they have touched hearts and souls with their art.
Diane Jones
Diane Jones is the host of Feminine Fusion, aired every week on WCNY-FM. An active composer, she has received commissions from nationally and internationally-recognized musicians and ensembles, as well as completing 5 residencies in Syracuse area schools, introducing young musicians to composition. Diane performs regularly with Samba Laranja and the Central New York Flute Choir, and her music has been featured on two SAMMY-award winning CDs. Follow Diane on Bluesky (@composerjones.bsky.social) and Facebook (here) for more about her programming and her music.
| Air Date | Program Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| May 24 - 30 | Looking West, Part 5 | Let's hear some of the innovative works by women being created and performed in the west, the seat of classical music |
| May 31 - June 6 | Looking Home, Part 5 | We complete our trip around the world as we return home to hear works performed and composed by women in the US |
| June 7 - 13 | At the Keyboard, Part 5 | More performances from women playing piano and organ |
| June 14 - 20 | Plucked, Part 6 | Music for plucked instruments - harp, guitar, and more. |
| June 21 - 27 | Summer Shimmers | We welcome Summer with music composed and performed by women honoring the season |
| June 28 - July 4 | Patchwork Quilt, Part XLVII | No special theme, just great music composed and performed by women. |
| July 5 - 11 | Honoring America | Let's take a listen to works by women across the US honoring their homeland |
| July 12 - 18 | Fiery Red | The summer heat is on, so what better time to hear works and performance steeped in heat and fire |
| July 19 - 25 | Oceans of Sound | Music of the sea - sometimes peaceful, sometimes stormy |
| July 26 - Aug 1 | Rooted in Earth | Performances and compositions grounded in the earth - strong and comforting |
| Aug 2 - 8 | Carried on the Wind | Woodwinds and music of the wind fill the air |
| Aug 9 - 15 | In the Spotlight, Part 2 | Women touring the world as soloists |
| Aug 16 - 22 | Portrait: Caroline Shaw | She's won a Pulitzer Prize and four Grammy awards. This hour is filled with music by the outstanding composer, Caroline Shaw. |
| Aug 23 - 29 | Patchwork Quilt, Part XLVIII | No special theme, just great music composed and performed by women. |
| Aug 30 - Sept 5 | Season 9 Wrap-Up | A look back at what we've heard in throughout Season 9 of Feminine Fusion! |
June 7, 2025
“There is no real difference between music by women and music by men. It’s just that we have heard music by men almost exclusively for centuries, and now it’s time to hear some music by women. ” – Sarah Cahill A quiet hall. A piano on the stage. And a pianist at the keyboard filling the space with incredible music. This week we hear music from women at the keyboard. “At the Keyboard, Part 6” Joni Mitchell, arr. Jennifer King: Blue Jennifer King, piano “Souvenance” Independent J.S. Bach: Keyboard Concerto in E Major, BWV 1053 Simone Dinnerstein, piano Baroklyn “Complicité” Supertrain Records D. Riley Nicholson: UP Sarah Cahill & Regina Meyers, piano “UP” Independent Run time: 58:30 Feminine Fusion highlights the roles of women in classical music. Host Diane Jones brings you stories and music of the women who create, perform, and inspire. Produced in the studios […] Read More
May 31, 2025
“I love the way some music suddenly takes you to the other side of Alice’s looking glass, in a kind of absurd, subtle, technicolor transition.” – Caroline Shaw We bring our global trek to a close with music from home. Enjoy these works from women from the U.S. “Looking Home, Part 5” Jessie Montgomery: Peace Heather Tuach, cello; Yoko Misumi, piano “In the Mirror: Music by Women Composers” Divine Art 21223 Karen LeFrak: Miami Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra Sharon Isbin, guitar Orchestra of St. Luke’s; Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor “Karen LeFrak: Romántico” KL2 Georgia Stitt: Duet for Flute and Piano #1 Georgia Stitt, piano; Janet Axelrod, flute “Act One” Freedom Road Records 003 Reena Esmail: Khirkiyaan: Three Transformations for Brass Quintet Seraph Brass “Showcase” Tower Grove Records Sarah Bassingthwaighte: A Mountain Symphony London Symphony Orchestra; Bobby Collins, conductor “Orchestrating the Wild” Aria Records Run time: 58:30 […] Read More
May 24, 2025
“Challenges are what you feed off as a composer.” – Charlotte Bray This week we continue our trip around the world with a look to the West. These are works firmly rooted in the western classical tradition, but the women creating them are making them their own. “Looking West, Part 4” Lera Auerbach: Amen, from 72 Angels Netherland Chamber Choir; Peter Dijkstra, conductor Raschèr String Quartet “Lera Auerbach: 72 Angels” Alpha 593 Charlotte Bray: Zustände Mariani Klavierquartett “Charlotte Bray: Chamber & Solo Works” Alliance 6371 Dani Howard: Symmetry Mainly Two “Live at Listenpony: Mainly Two” Listenpony 001 Christine Ott: Pluie Christine Ott, ondes Martenot Mathieu Gabry, percussion “Time to Die” Bandcamp Dobrinka Tabakova: Modètudes Marina Staneva, piano “Slavic Roots” Chandos 20251 Galina Ustvolskaya: Clarinet Trio (1949) David Howard, clarinet; Johnny Lee, violin; Vicki Ray, piano “David Howard Plays Clarinet Works” Yarlung 78874 Run time: 58:30 Feminine Fusion […] Read More
May 17, 2025
“Music is rhythm of the universe meets rhythm of self.” – Terri Guillemets We continue our global trek with music from the east. Today, music from four composers hailing from South Korea, Japan and China. Looking East, Part 5 Young-ja Lee: Harbor Kyoung Cho, soprano; Se Ryung Woo, piano “Korean Women’s Voices” Centaur 3694 Unsuk Chin: Rocaná Montreal Symphony Orchestra; Kent Nagano, conductor “Unsuk Chin: Rocana/Violin Concerto” Analekta 9944 Yuko Uébayashi: Sonata for Flute and Piano Martha Long, flute; María García, piano “Elevate: All Classical Radio’s RII Vol. 2” Navona 6625 Wang Jie: Sonata for the Other Shore Christopher Janwong McKiggan, piano “Resonance of Hope” Sheva Collection 299 Run time: 58:30 Feminine Fusion highlights the roles of women in classical music. Host Diane Jones brings you stories and music of the women who create, perform, and inspire. Produced in the studios at WCNY-FM. Read More
May 10, 2025
“Colour is profoundly important to me as a composer, the actual colour of the sound..” – Anne Boyd We continue our global trek with music from the south, specifically from New Zealand and Australia. We’ll hear influences of traditional classical works as well as indigenous music. Looking South, Part 5 Marlene Cummins: Starting Over Ensemble Offspring “Women of Note, Volume 5” ABC Classics 0055 Margaret Sutherland: Concerto for String Orchestra Queensland Symphony Orchestra; Patrick Thomas, conductor “Australian Composers Volume 1: Miriam Hyde & Margaret Sutherland” ABC Classics 4462852 Anne Boyd: Cloudy Mountain Animo “Animo Two” Ravello Records 8079 Elizabeth Younan: …your heart dreams of spring Jennifer Koh, violin “Alone Together” Cedille 3011 Salina Fisher: Hikari Alexi Kenney, violin “Shifting Ground” Bright Shiny Things 0205 Gillian Whitehead: Aftermath, from “IPU” Richard Nunns, taonga pūoru; Tungia Baker, narrator; Judy Bailey, piano; Georg Pedersen, cello “IPU” Rattle 007 Tabea Squire: I Danced, Unseen New […] Read More
May 3, 2025
“Tonal colour is important for me, but I don’t consider myself a spectral composer; my aim is to create dynamic forms. Translucency is also important, music must have air in it.” – Lotta Wennäkoski We’re kicking off a trek around the globe, listening to women’s music from all points of the compass. This week, we look to the North – Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Canada. Looking North, Part 5 Ruth Bakke: Ragadòn Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag “Frisk Pust: NY Norsk Musikk for Korps” Norsk Noteservice 34988 Lotta Wennäkoski: Flounce Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Nicholas Collon, conductor Lotta Wennäkoski: Sigla; Flounce; Sedecim” Ondine 1420-2 Violet Archer: Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra CBC Vancouver Orchestra; Sir John Eliot Gardiner, conductor “Three Concerti” Centrediscs 15610 Thurídur Jónsdóttir: Flow and Fusion Iceland Symphony Orchestra; Daníel Bjarnson, conductor “Recurrence – ISO Project, Vol. 1” Dorian Sono Luminus 92213 Nancy Dalberg: String Quartet No. 3 Nordic […] Read More
April 26, 2025
“How could they deny this woman her place in history? Why did no one know to share this with me?” – Michelle Cann Every performer has to start somewhere, so this week we hear from several debut releases. Debuts Kevin Puts: Air, Mvt. IV from “Four Airs” Kristin Lee, violin Jeremy Ajani Jordan, piano “American Sketches” First Hand Records 147 Henryk Wieniawski: Légende María Dueñas, violin Vienna Symphony; Manfred Honeck, conductor “Beethoven and Beyond” Deutsche Grammophon William Grant Still: Summerland Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, piano “Fantasie” Sony Classical Margaret Bonds: Troubled Water Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, piano “Fantasie” Sony Classical Florence Price: Piano Sonata in E minor Michelle Cann, piano “Revival” Curtis Recordings Rebecca Scout Nelson: Consolations 1-4 Rebecca Scout Nelson, vocals & Baroque violin “do not lament” Il Pirata Records Run time: 58:30 Feminine Fusion highlights the roles of women in classical music. Host Diane Jones brings you stories and […] Read More
April 19, 2025
“Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars. Gaze at the beauty of the Earth’s greenings. Now, think.” – Hildegard von Bingen From the convent to the concert stage, this week we hear music composed by women throughout the centuries. There may even be a few surprises! Women of Old Hildegard of Bingen: O Virtus Sapientiae Esther Abrami Quintet “Women” Sony Classical Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: Pues mi Dios Diana Baroni, vocals & flute; Rafael Guel Frias, baroque guitar & flute; Ronald Martin Alonso, viola da gamba “Mujeres” Aparté 310 Anne Emmerich: Six Variations for Solo Guitar Heike Matthiesen, guitar “Guitar Divas” Ars Produktion Mel Bonis: Femmes de Legende Anna Shelest, piano “Donna Voce, Volume 2” Sorel Classics Maria Frances Parke/Alexandra Maslovaric: Sonata No. 1 in C Major Alexandra Maslovaric, violin; Monika Ruth Vida, piano “Regency Parke” Feminae 2501 Run time: 58:30 Feminine […] Read More
April 12, 2025
“Night after night, in solitude, staring into vast, soundless space.” – Diedre McKay The world outside the window can inspire some amazing music. This week, works inspired from a room with a view. Room with a View Judith Lang Zaimont: Falling Raindrops (from “Pure, Cool (Water)) Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra; Niels Muus, conductor “Judith Lang Zaimont” Sorel Classics Diedre Gribbin: Before the Moon Shattered and Shone Again Musici Ireland “Earthrise” Métier 77133 Lawren Brianna Ware: Moonlit Waters Corbus du Toit, flute; Doreen Lee, piano “From the Rooftop” Neuma 202 Monica Houghton: Wilderness Portraits Argenta Trio “Of Time & Place” Navona 6162 Diedre McKay: Mr Shah Musici Ireland “Earthrise” Métier 77133 Wang Jie: The Winter that United Us Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor “Contemporary Landscapes” BPO Run time: 58:30 Feminine Fusion highlights the roles of women in classical music. Host Diane Jones brings you stories and […] Read More
April 5, 2025
“The stories of these women inspired me to create; they showed me the importance of leaving yourmark for future generations to discover.” – Esther Abrami Time for another Patchwork Quilt episode. This week, we have the opportunity to preview some as-yet-unreleased music as well. Patchwork Quilt, Part XLVI Ney Rosauro: Reunion Dance Duo AYA “Cycles” Neuma 218 Johan Helmich Roman: Assagio in G minor Alison Luthmers, Baroque violin “Assaggi for Solo Violin” Rubicon 1140 Astor Piazzolla: Regreso al amor Ophélie, Gaillard, cello “Cello Tango” Aparté 368 Olivia Belli: Limina Luminis Anna Lapwood, organ “Firedove” Sony Classical Véronique Bracco: The Forest: A Tale of the Fenghuang Galan Trio; Zacharias Tarpagkos, flute “Embrace” Neuma 216 Emma O’Halloran: Night Music Coalescent Quartet “the wall between us (is where we meet)” Neuma 219 Ina Boyle: Concerto for Violin & Orchestra “To the Memory of My Mother” Esther Abrami, violin Vienna Radio […] Read More
