Lecture
Jessica Duchen
Thursday 26.02.2026
Jessica Duchen
Fanny Mendelssohn, Musical Powerhouse
Thursday 26.02.2026
How to watch
This lecture starts on 26 February at 7:00pm (UK).
Summary
Sister of the more famous Felix, Fanny Mendelssohn (1805–47) had the same talent, education, and encouragement as her brother—until she was 14, when their father told her that for her, as a woman, music could only be an adornment to her domestic life. Despite this, she went on to compose more than 400 works, run a concert series, and conduct her own choir. We take a look at her life, remarkable music, and indomitable personality, and her complex relationship with her starry younger brother.
Jessica Duchen
Jessica is a music critic, author, and librettist. She contributes to The Sunday Times, the The i Paper, and BBC Music Magazine. Her operatic work includes Silver Birch and Dalia with Roxanna Panufnik for Garsington Opera. She has written biographies of Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Gabriel Fauré and seven novels on music-related topics. Her narrated concerts have been performed at Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, and numerous festivals. Her next book is a biography of Dame Myra Hess, due for publication in spring 2025. Jessica read music at Cambridge and lives in London with her violinist husband.