About a year ago, I shared a quick blog post with a run-down of women composers throughout history. The focus at the time was primarily choral compositions, but I’ve spent the better part of 2021 delving into opera, oratorio, and solo vocal works by women. The updated list includes many women from non-Western music traditions as well as non-binary composers.
I gathered information from multiple sources, the first being Hildegard Publishing. If you haven’t checked out this company yet, I’d encourage you to do so. Many historical female composers are represented here alongside newly-published works. The company was founded by a woman, and is presided over by women as well.
I noticed a trend among early female composers that many have pointed out; daughters and wives of male composers were more likely to receive an education in music or have their music published. The name recognition of several of these ladies contributed to their work being published, either pre- or post-humously. It should be noted that each composer listed is entirely deserving of publication and honors, and their successes are not a result of their connections to men. Let’s look at these names first.
Francesca Caccini: First known female opera composer, she worked for the famous Medici family in the early 1600s. She completed La liberazione di Ruggerio in 1625, but the opera was never staged. Her surviving works mainly include collections of songs for voice and strings. Francesca was the daughter of Giulio Caccini, most noted for his setting of “Ave Maria”, which has gained popularity in the 20th century classical-crossover genre.
Fanny Mendelssohn: She composed a large amount of choral and instrumental works.
Clara Schumann: Well-known for her piano and chamber works.
Alma Mahler
Imogen Holst: Little is known about her early 20th-century compositions. She, like many other female musicians, is recognized as a music student and educator. Daughter of Gustav Holst (yes, the composer of The Planets)
Alice Coltrane
Mary Rodgers: Her biggest hit is perhaps the musical “Once Upon a Mattress”. Unsurprising, as her father is half of the famous Broadway duo Rodgers & Hammerstein.
Lucy Simon: Award-winning composer and daughter of singer-songwriter Paul Simon.
Abbie Betinis
Georgia Stitt: Founder of Maestra Music, an organization which helps women composers and conductors connect with one another. Georgia is married to Jason Robert Brown, and has many writing credits of her own.
Several women earned recognition despite being rather unknown, making a name for themselves in the larger realm of music history. Still, many remain absent from prominent music history textbooks, professional concert seasons, and the like.
Comtessa Beatriz de Dia
Hildegard von Bingen
Teresa Carreno: The daughter of an exiled Venezualen political figure; his social stature undoubtedly afforded Teresa the ability to study music and composition. Her virtuosic abilities caught the attention of American president, Abraham Lincoln, who invited her to play at the White House when she was only nine years old.
Lili & Nadia Boulanger
Kay Swift
Germaine Tailleferre: The sole female member of the French composer forum known as Les Six.
Keiko Abe: Well-known for bringing classical marimba playing and composition to American and European audiences.
Meredith Monk
Chen Yi
Errollyn Wallen
Julie Giroux: First woman to win an Emmy Award for music composition. She was also the youngest ever to earn the award.
The largest group by far are the “Lesser Knowns”. These composers are of particular interest to me, prompting the creation of several student-friendly resources. Below the lengthy list, you can find some of my creations, as well as those of other music teachers. Composers shown in fuschia are represented prominently in teacher resources linked at the end of the post.
Lynn Ahrens Francis Allitsen Barbara Anselmi
Agatha Backer-Grondahl Jaddan Bai Regina Baiocchi
Carol Barnett Marion Bauer Amy Beach
Nell Benjamin Johanna Beyer Mélanie Bonis
Margaret Bonds Natalie Braginsky* Rosemary Brown
Susan Brumfield Molly Carew Wendy Carlos*
Graciela Castillo Cecile Chaminade Unsuk Chin
Rebecca Clarke Katherine Collins* Ruth Crawford-Seeger
Guy d’Hardelot/Helen Rhodes Eloisa d’Herbil Esther de León
Teresa del Riego Eva Dell’Acqua Alma Deutscher
Emma Lou Diemer Pauline Duchambge Wu Fei**
Dorothy Fields Vivian Fine Gabriela Frank
Zina Goldrich Phamie Gow Micki Grant
Amanda Green Sofia Gubaidulina Marcy Heissler
Louis Heritte-Viardot Augusta Holmes Nora Holt
Sungji Hong Melissa Hui Miriam Hyde
Jennifer Higdon Carrie Jacobs-Bond Eva Jessye
Lim June-Hee Laura Kaminsky Vítězslava Kaprálová
Elena Kats-Chernin Marta Keen Usha Khanna
Betty Jackson King Carole King Nobu Koda
Lila Lalauni Lisa Lambert Josephine Lang
Elena Langer Libby Larsen Young-ja Lee
Liza Lehmann Tania Leon Ursula Mamlok
Myriam Marbe Marianna Martines Missy Mazzoli
Elizabeth Mconchy Anais Mitchell Angela Morely*
Angelica Negron Thea Musgrave Pauline Oliveros
Roxanna Panufnik Zenobia Powell Paola Prestini
Florence Price Shulamit Ran Gladys Rich
Patsy Rogers Kaija Saariaho Alice Samter
Irene Sankoff Caroline Shaw Undine Smith Moore
Ethyl Smythe brin solomon* Lili Strickland
Barbara Strozzi Joan Szmyko Chrysanthe Tan*
Jeanine Tesori Pauline Thys Joan Tower
Anna Teichmüller Mari Ésabel Valverde* Pauline Viardot
Anna Amalia von Sachsen Judith Weir Mary Lou Williams
Allee Willis Julia Wolfe Chen Yi**
Du Yun**
*denotes transgender/non-binary indentity
**denotes musician whose surname (family name) is listed first.
Discover more about these composers, and countless others using these helpful resources.
Modern Musicians: Set 2 (Bulletin Board/Presentation)
LA Opera's FREE Lesson Plan for Middle & High School Students
Women Composers Research Project (for students)
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