Beethoven: Violin Concerto, Op. 61 (Ludwig van Beethoven)

From Sappho of Mytilene to Kaija Saariaho and Clara Schumann, several women have managed to break through the macho codes of the milieu and become composers. While the classical music landscape has been largely dominated by men in recent centuries, the work of their female colleagues, whether pioneers or contemporaries, is just as fascinating. Here we put eleven undervalued figures of female composition in the spotlight.

For over 60 years the Argentinian pianist Martha Argerich has amazed audiences all over the world with her wild, impulsive playing and her constant risk-taking, overcoming every technical difficulty by turning each of her performances into a fascinating journey.

A resident of Hong Kong for several years, from where he has built Naxos into a global success story, Klaus Heymann, the most anti-conformist player in the world of classical records, is proudly celebrating his business's 30th birthday. We spoke to him!