England's Ethel Leginska (1886--1970) enjoyed an acclaimed career as a concert pianist for many years; in the 1920s she became the first woman to regularly appear as a conductor with some of the world's top orchestras. Leginska left behind a small body of musical works she wrote for the symphony and string quartet, as well as two operas. Many "were performed by major organizations at a time when women's compositions rarely received such recognition," according Leginska's profile in Notable American Women: The Modern Period.

Studied in Vienna

Leginska was born Ethel Liggins on April 13, 1886, in Hull, a thriving port city in northeast England. Her parents were Thomas Liggins and Annie Peck Liggins, and her innate musical talents were recognizable from an early age. With the encouragement of her parents, she began a public recital career at age six and soon became known as a child prodigy in the...