Pianist Claire Huangci’s new album celebrates women composers and the struggles they’ve endured, with a collection of works by Clara Schumann, Amy Beach, Fanny Hensel, and Florence Price. Clara Wieck (who became Schumann after her marriage to Robert in 1840) was a mother of eight and the main breadwinner, constantly on tour. Fanny Hensel composed largely in private, often publishing under her brother’s name (Mendelssohn). Amy Beach’s career was practically silenced during her marriage; only upon her husband’s death did she return to the stage. Florence Price faced both racial and gender discrimination and later raised two children alone. Huangci writes, “The realities these women faced are difficult to imagine for any modern woman in the field. In their music, we don’t just hear history. We hear transformation. Heroines is my way of listening back — and adding my voice to theirs.”