Frances McCollin

Frances McCollin (October 24, 1892 – February 25, 1960) was an American composer and musician, who was blind from early childhood.

She met Marian Anderson, Igor Stravinsky, Amy Beach, and other musicians and composers, usually in connection with her mother's work with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

[11] She gave popular weekly lectures about the Philadelphia Orchestra programs, in which she focused on explaining modern compositions.

Throughout her life, she benefitted from transcription help from her family and from other local musicians including Vincent Persichetti, Jeanne Behrend, and Fabien Sevitzky (who would go on to program her works when he conducted the Indianapolis Symphony).

[13] McCollin was in poor health in her last years, and lived with her sister Kitty (who had married a doctor, John Hancock Arnett).

[4] When she died in 1960, aged 67 years, members of the Philadelphia Orchestra played a string quartet she composed at her memorial service.