Fanny Hensel

Fanny Mendelssohn (14 November 1805 – 14 May 1847), later known as Fanny Hensel after her marriage, was a German composer and pianist of the early Romantic era. She created a substantial body of work, including a piano trio, piano quartet, orchestral overture, four cantatas, over 125 piano pieces, and more than 250 lieder. However, many of her pieces remained unpublished during her lifetime. Fanny grew up in Berlin, where she received a thorough musical education. Despite her family's reservations and societal norms which limited the roles of women, she contributed significantly to the music world, although often in the shadow of her brother, the famous composer Felix Mendelssohn.