The Life of Ethel Smyth

“I want women to take on big and difficult tasks. I don’t want them loitering on the shore all the time, afraid to set sail. I’m neither afraid nor needy; in my own way, I’m an explorer who firmly believes in the benefits of this pioneering work.”

— Ethel Smyth (1858–1944)

British composer, writer and suffragette, Ethel Smyth was a pioneer in more ways than one. Long before the term even existed, Smyth was living what we might today call a queer feminist life. She challenged conventions, fought for women’s rights and made her way into a world that was not exactly waiting for women like her.

Together with Bern-based musicians Marysol Schalit and Clelia Widmer-George, dramaturge Natalie Widmer explores Smyth’s life and work through piano pieces, songs and autobiographical texts.

Thursday, 01.10.2026 | 20.30h Olympia Bern, Militärstrasse 64, 3014 Bern Pay what you can: CHF 15 suggested | CHF 30 soli