Margaret Ruthven Lang

Full biography Margaret Ruthven Lang

Margaret Ruthven Lang was an American composer who lived from 1867 to 1972. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts and was part of a musically-inclined family. Her father, Benjamin Johnson Lang, was a prominent musician and conductor, and he provided her with extensive music education.

Margaret started composing music at the age of nine and went on to receive formal training under a tutelage of several notable composers. Despite facing discrimination and gender barriers in the male-dominated field of classical music, Margaret Ruthven Lang persevered and continued to write music that was innovative and groundbreaking for her time.

She is regarded as one of the most prominent female composers of the late 19th and early 20th century. Margaret Ruthven Lang's compositions were primarily focused on vocal and chamber music, and she was known for using a wide range of musical styles, including classical, romantic, and modernist.

Margaret Ruthven Lang’s work "From the Depths," which is set to the words of Winslow Homer's poem of the same name, was her most popular composition. Her other notable compositions include "Violette," "The Lament of Tasso," and "Sappho and Phaon."

Margaret Ruthven Lang's legacy continues to inspire modern-day composers and performers. Her pioneering work has paved the way for women to be recognized and respected as composers in the classical music world.