Every year, my mother would take me and my siblings to a concert at Orchestra Hall in Chicago. I would gasp in awe at the size of the concert hall, the streams of lights embroidering the room, the musicians on stage, and the large number of people in the audience, squirming and adjusting themselves in their seats. As I scanned the room, I would notice how few faces of color were sprinkled into the sea of white. The musicians and audience members shared the same pale complexio

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Luise Adolpha Le Beau (1850-1927) was a German composer, pianist, and teacher. Le Beau began her musical studies with her father from a young age, including her composition from the age of eight. She later studied with William Kalliwoda in Karsruhe, Clara Schumann (for a summer), Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, and Franz Lachner. Throughout her studies, Le Beau toured throughout Europe, both as a soloist and with other musicians. Le Beau's compositions were performed through Europ