New Hampshire’s own Amy Cheney Beach was a real trail-blazer! In fact, she was the first American woman to compose a symphony. UNH is hosting a series of concerts to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Beach’s birth, and this performance by Symphony New Hampshire will be a rare opportunity to hear her symphony performed live. Beach was born and spent her earliest years in Henniker, N.H. She maintained ties to the state throughout her life, summering in Hillsborough and working at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough. The UNH library has a nationally-known collection of her music, photos, and more, and UNH awarded her an honorary degree in 1928. Beach’s “Gaelic” Symphony will be preceded by Beethoven’s “Coriolan Overture” and paired with another piece in the lush Romantic style, Dvorak’s memorable Symphony “From the New World.”