Emilie Mayer (1812-1883) was born in Friedland (Germany) and, although largely forgotten today, was a prolific and successful composer in her day. On the death of her father, Emilie received a sizeable inheritance and subsequently studied composition in Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland) with Carl Loewe (1796-1869) who said that “such a God-given talent as hers had not been bestowed upon any other person he knew.”

After further studies in Berlin, her music began to be published and performed across Europe and she was eventually appointed co-Director of the Berlin Opera. A prolific composer, Emilie Mayer composed eight symphonies, eight violin sonatas, twelve cello sonatas, six piano trios, seven string quartets, seven orchestral overtures alongside a wealth of vocal, choral and piano music.

Emilie Mayer died in Berlin on 10 April 1883 and, although overlooked for much of the 20th-century, there has been a resurgence of interest in her music in recent years.