Classical Music

Women in Classical Music

If you look at the listings of the major orchestras in America you will see two things in common; very few of them are programming major pieces by women composers, and almost none have a woman on the podium. Despite the abundance of wonderful compositions by women, the world of classical music has been, for centuries, a man’s world.

Cecile Chaminade - at age 8 played for George Bizet

Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM | By Ruth Phinney

Published February 8, 2018 at 1:52 PM EST

Cecile Chaminade began composing at an early age, and when she was just 8 years old she played some of her music for Georges Bizet. Her music was very popular in America. The composer Ambroise Thomas described her as “not a woman who composes, but a composer who is a woman.” Listen to her 6 Pièces Romantiques, Op.55.

This post is part WXXI Classical 91.5’s celebration of Women’s History Month. For more of these stories and other resources, check out Celebrating the Contributions of Women to Classical Music.