Hear from Dr Tatjana Goldberg, author of Pioneer Violin Virtuose in the Early Twentieth Century: Maud Powell, Marie Hall, and Alma Moodie: A Gendered Re-evaluation (Routledge, 2019)

Tatjana’s talk will reveal the extent to which gender and socially constructed identity influenced female violinists’ “separate but unequal” status in the great male-dominated virtuoso lineage by focussing on the few that stood out: the American Maud Powell(1867–1920), Australian-born Alma Moodie (1898–1943), and the British Marie Hall (1884–1956).

Despite breaking down traditional gender-based patriarchal social and cultural norms,becoming celebrated soloists and greatly contributing towards violin works and the early recording industry (Powell and Hall),they received little historical recognition. The prevailing pattern of (white male) violin virtuosi exclusivity has for long time been obscured from public discussion and by exploring the careers and artistic achievements of these exceptional women violinists the aim is to present an alternative perspective that will allow fora better assessment of their legacy and re-instate them in the history of violin playing.

Tatjana Goldberg started learning the violin in Croatia, and later went to study violin at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory. In August 2000 Tatjana married the violinist Nigel Goldberg and came to live in the UK. During the last ten years, besides playing in BBC and other orchestras, Tatjana has found herself increasingly in demand as a teacher. She has a particular interest in the history of the violin, especially that of women violinists and she holds doctorate in musicology and MA in the Russian Language and Culture.