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See Also
See Again
© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
- Hildegard of Bingen was a German Benedictine abbess, writer, mystic, and composer. Not only did she write outstanding music, she also wrote the words to go with her compositions.
© Getty Images
1 / 30 Fotos
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
- Hildegard of Bingen's most popular works include 'Ordo Virtutum,' ‘Symphonia armonie celestium revelationum,’ and ‘A Feather on the Breath of God.’
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Francesca Caccini (1587-1640)
- The daughter of the famous Italian composer Giulio Caccini, she went on to become an influential composer herself. Among her famous works there is 'La liberazione di Ruggiero,' which is considered to be the first opera written by a woman, as well one of the first Italian operas to be performed outside of the country.
© Public Domain
3 / 30 Fotos
Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677)
- The Italian composer and singer was the most prolific secular music composer of her time (among both men and women). Strozzi wrote eight volumes of music, including pieces such as ‘Arie a voce sola,’ ‘Il primo libro di madrigali,’ and ‘Cantate, ariette e duetti.’
© Public Domain
4 / 30 Fotos
Isabella Leonarda (1620-1704)
- Italy's Isabella Leonarda joined a Ursuline convent at the age of 16 and remained there for the rest of her life. It was there that she wrote numerous compositions.
© Public Domain
5 / 30 Fotos
Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729)
- The French composer wrote numerous pieces for harpsichord, as well as violin sonatas. La Guerre is also known for writing secular 'Cantates françoises.'
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1739-1807)
- The duchess is known for having turned her court into an influential cultural center in Germany. Among her best works are a 1765 symphony, an oratorio, and the opera 'Erwin und Elmire.'
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Marianna Martines (1744 –1812)
- The Austrian composer learned the piano from the famous Joseph Haydn and went on to perform for the Imperial Court and Empress Maria Theresa herself. Martines' standard was so high that she often had guests such as Mozart performing with her. It is believed that her piece 'Mass No. 1 in D Major' inspired Mozart's 'Mass K139.'
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
Louise Farrenc (1804-1875)
- Farrenc was taught the piano by masters such as Ignaz Moscheles and Johann Nepomuk Hummel, and went on to play concerts with her husband, the flutist Aristide Farrenc. She wrote numerous compositions and became a professor of piano at the Paris Conservatory. Farrenc was awarded the Prix Chartier of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1861 and 1869.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)
- A child prodigy, the German composer went on to write more than 460 piano works, though a number of them were published under her brother’s name (famed composer Felix Mendelssohn).
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
- The wife of pianist Robert Schumann was a distinguished composer herself. At the age of 14, Clara Schumann had already written her piano concert. She went on to play concerts for decades.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Teresa Carreño (1853-1917)
- The Venezuelan composer, pianist, and singer wrote at least 40 pieces of music, including the hit song 'Tendeur.' Also known as the "Valkyrie of the Piano," Teresa Carreño went on to perform for Abraham Lincoln at the White House in 1863.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944)
- The French composer wrote numerous works, including pieces for piano and salon songs. In 1913, Chaminade became the first female composer to be awarded the Légion d'Honneur (the French Order of Merit). "This is not a woman who composes, but a composer who is a woman," said fellow composer Ambroise Thomas about Chaminade.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Adele aus der Ohe (1861-1937)
- The German pianist and composer wrote numerous pieces for violin and piano. Her 1901 concert at London’s Steinway Hall was highly praised by The Times.
© Public Domain
14 / 30 Fotos
Amy Beach (1867-1944)
- Amy Beach was America's first successful female composer. Though she went on to make it in Europe, too. Some of Beach's famous works include 'Mass in E-flat major' and the 'Gaelic Symphony.' The latter was the first symphony composed by an American woman.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979)
- The London-born violist and composer was one of the first female players to perform in an orchestra professionally. Best known for her chamber pieces and vocal compositions, Clarke went on to win the 1919 Berkshire Festival of Music Competition in America, with her 'Viola Sonata.'
© Public Domain
16 / 30 Fotos
Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983)
- The French composer wrote numerous works in the 1920s, including the 'Piano Concerto,' as well as the ballets 'Le marchand d'oiseaux' and 'La nouvelle Cythère.'
© Getty Images
17 / 30 Fotos
Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983)
- Germaine Tailleferre was the only woman in the famed group of composers called Les Six.
© Getty Images
18 / 30 Fotos
Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)
- At the age of 19, the French composer became the first woman to win the Prix de Rome composition prize, for her piece 'Faust et Hélène.' Fun fact: the asteroid 1181 Lilith was named after her!
© Getty Images
19 / 30 Fotos
Ethel Smyth (1858-1944)
- The English composer wrote the suffragette anthem 'March of the Women.' Smyth, an active member of the movement herself, composed numerous works for piano, chamber music, and operas, to name a few.
© Getty Images
20 / 30 Fotos
Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953)
- In 1930, the American composer became the first woman to win a Guggenheim Fellowship to travel to Europe. Seeger wrote brilliant works, including her 1931 'String Quartet.' Fun fact: she was the stepmother of famed folk singer Pete Seeger.
© Public Domain
21 / 30 Fotos
Ruth Gipps (1921-1999)
- Not only was Gipps a terrific composer, she was also an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, conductor, and teacher. Gipps is listed by BBC Music as one of the best English composers of all time.
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
Judith Weir (b.1954)
- The British composer is best known for operas such as 'Blond Eckbert' and 'Armida.' In 2014, Weir was appointed Master of the King's Music by Queen Elizabeth II, becoming the first woman to hold the office.
© Getty Images
23 / 30 Fotos
Rachel Portman (b.1960)
- Rachel Portman is yet another successful composer known for scoring films, among which is 2000's 'Chocolat.' In 1996, Portman became the first female composer to win an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Musical or Comedy Score for 'Emma.'
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Jocelyn Pook (b.1960)
- As a viola player, Jocelyn Pook collaborated with numerous music artists, including Massive Attack. The English composer's music can be heard on the soundtrack of movies such as 'Eyes Wide Shut' (1999).
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
Anne Dudley (b.1956)
- The English composer is best known for her film scores. In 1998, Dudley won an Oscar for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score for 'The Full Monty.' She also worked as music producer for the 'Les Misérables' (2012), among others.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Debbie Wiseman (b.1963)
- Debbie Wiseman is not only an outstanding composer, but she's also an accomplished conductor. The British composer wrote the score to 'Wilde' (1997), among others. More recently, in 2023, Wiseman composed new music for the coronation of Charles III and Camilla.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Roxanna Panufnik (b.1968)
- The daughter of the accomplished Polish composer Andrzej Panufnik also found success as a composer. The British composer has written multiple pieces, including 'Westminster Mass,' which was commissioned for Westminster Cathedral Choir to celebrate Cardinal Hume's birthday.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Phamie Gow (b.1980)
- By the age of 19, Gow already had two albums released. As of 2023, she has released 10 albums. Phamie Gow's 'War Song' is one of her most famous compositions. Sources: (Classic FM) (BBC Music Magazine) (uDiscover Music) (Audio Captain)
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
- Hildegard of Bingen was a German Benedictine abbess, writer, mystic, and composer. Not only did she write outstanding music, she also wrote the words to go with her compositions.
© Getty Images
1 / 30 Fotos
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
- Hildegard of Bingen's most popular works include 'Ordo Virtutum,' ‘Symphonia armonie celestium revelationum,’ and ‘A Feather on the Breath of God.’
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Francesca Caccini (1587-1640)
- The daughter of the famous Italian composer Giulio Caccini, she went on to become an influential composer herself. Among her famous works there is 'La liberazione di Ruggiero,' which is considered to be the first opera written by a woman, as well one of the first Italian operas to be performed outside of the country.
© Public Domain
3 / 30 Fotos
Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677)
- The Italian composer and singer was the most prolific secular music composer of her time (among both men and women). Strozzi wrote eight volumes of music, including pieces such as ‘Arie a voce sola,’ ‘Il primo libro di madrigali,’ and ‘Cantate, ariette e duetti.’
© Public Domain
4 / 30 Fotos
Isabella Leonarda (1620-1704)
- Italy's Isabella Leonarda joined a Ursuline convent at the age of 16 and remained there for the rest of her life. It was there that she wrote numerous compositions.
© Public Domain
5 / 30 Fotos
Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729)
- The French composer wrote numerous pieces for harpsichord, as well as violin sonatas. La Guerre is also known for writing secular 'Cantates françoises.'
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1739-1807)
- The duchess is known for having turned her court into an influential cultural center in Germany. Among her best works are a 1765 symphony, an oratorio, and the opera 'Erwin und Elmire.'
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Marianna Martines (1744 –1812)
- The Austrian composer learned the piano from the famous Joseph Haydn and went on to perform for the Imperial Court and Empress Maria Theresa herself. Martines' standard was so high that she often had guests such as Mozart performing with her. It is believed that her piece 'Mass No. 1 in D Major' inspired Mozart's 'Mass K139.'
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
Louise Farrenc (1804-1875)
- Farrenc was taught the piano by masters such as Ignaz Moscheles and Johann Nepomuk Hummel, and went on to play concerts with her husband, the flutist Aristide Farrenc. She wrote numerous compositions and became a professor of piano at the Paris Conservatory. Farrenc was awarded the Prix Chartier of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1861 and 1869.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)
- A child prodigy, the German composer went on to write more than 460 piano works, though a number of them were published under her brother’s name (famed composer Felix Mendelssohn).
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
- The wife of pianist Robert Schumann was a distinguished composer herself. At the age of 14, Clara Schumann had already written her piano concert. She went on to play concerts for decades.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Teresa Carreño (1853-1917)
- The Venezuelan composer, pianist, and singer wrote at least 40 pieces of music, including the hit song 'Tendeur.' Also known as the "Valkyrie of the Piano," Teresa Carreño went on to perform for Abraham Lincoln at the White House in 1863.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944)
- The French composer wrote numerous works, including pieces for piano and salon songs. In 1913, Chaminade became the first female composer to be awarded the Légion d'Honneur (the French Order of Merit). "This is not a woman who composes, but a composer who is a woman," said fellow composer Ambroise Thomas about Chaminade.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Adele aus der Ohe (1861-1937)
- The German pianist and composer wrote numerous pieces for violin and piano. Her 1901 concert at London’s Steinway Hall was highly praised by The Times.
© Public Domain
14 / 30 Fotos
Amy Beach (1867-1944)
- Amy Beach was America's first successful female composer. Though she went on to make it in Europe, too. Some of Beach's famous works include 'Mass in E-flat major' and the 'Gaelic Symphony.' The latter was the first symphony composed by an American woman.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979)
- The London-born violist and composer was one of the first female players to perform in an orchestra professionally. Best known for her chamber pieces and vocal compositions, Clarke went on to win the 1919 Berkshire Festival of Music Competition in America, with her 'Viola Sonata.'
© Public Domain
16 / 30 Fotos
Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983)
- The French composer wrote numerous works in the 1920s, including the 'Piano Concerto,' as well as the ballets 'Le marchand d'oiseaux' and 'La nouvelle Cythère.'
© Getty Images
17 / 30 Fotos
Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983)
- Germaine Tailleferre was the only woman in the famed group of composers called Les Six.
© Getty Images
18 / 30 Fotos
Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)
- At the age of 19, the French composer became the first woman to win the Prix de Rome composition prize, for her piece 'Faust et Hélène.' Fun fact: the asteroid 1181 Lilith was named after her!
© Getty Images
19 / 30 Fotos
Ethel Smyth (1858-1944)
- The English composer wrote the suffragette anthem 'March of the Women.' Smyth, an active member of the movement herself, composed numerous works for piano, chamber music, and operas, to name a few.
© Getty Images
20 / 30 Fotos
Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953)
- In 1930, the American composer became the first woman to win a Guggenheim Fellowship to travel to Europe. Seeger wrote brilliant works, including her 1931 'String Quartet.' Fun fact: she was the stepmother of famed folk singer Pete Seeger.
© Public Domain
21 / 30 Fotos
Ruth Gipps (1921-1999)
- Not only was Gipps a terrific composer, she was also an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, conductor, and teacher. Gipps is listed by BBC Music as one of the best English composers of all time.
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
Judith Weir (b.1954)
- The British composer is best known for operas such as 'Blond Eckbert' and 'Armida.' In 2014, Weir was appointed Master of the King's Music by Queen Elizabeth II, becoming the first woman to hold the office.
© Getty Images
23 / 30 Fotos
Rachel Portman (b.1960)
- Rachel Portman is yet another successful composer known for scoring films, among which is 2000's 'Chocolat.' In 1996, Portman became the first female composer to win an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Musical or Comedy Score for 'Emma.'
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Jocelyn Pook (b.1960)
- As a viola player, Jocelyn Pook collaborated with numerous music artists, including Massive Attack. The English composer's music can be heard on the soundtrack of movies such as 'Eyes Wide Shut' (1999).
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
Anne Dudley (b.1956)
- The English composer is best known for her film scores. In 1998, Dudley won an Oscar for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score for 'The Full Monty.' She also worked as music producer for the 'Les Misérables' (2012), among others.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Debbie Wiseman (b.1963)
- Debbie Wiseman is not only an outstanding composer, but she's also an accomplished conductor. The British composer wrote the score to 'Wilde' (1997), among others. More recently, in 2023, Wiseman composed new music for the coronation of Charles III and Camilla.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Roxanna Panufnik (b.1968)
- The daughter of the accomplished Polish composer Andrzej Panufnik also found success as a composer. The British composer has written multiple pieces, including 'Westminster Mass,' which was commissioned for Westminster Cathedral Choir to celebrate Cardinal Hume's birthday.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Phamie Gow (b.1980)
- By the age of 19, Gow already had two albums released. As of 2023, she has released 10 albums. Phamie Gow's 'War Song' is one of her most famous compositions. Sources: (Classic FM) (BBC Music Magazine) (uDiscover Music) (Audio Captain)
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
The greatest female composers of all time
From the 12th century to the present day
© Getty Images
While male composers get all the credit in classic music, there have been many trailblazing women who have made music history. Though many did not get the attention they deserved, there are plenty of female composers who found great success over the years.
From the 12th century to the present day, in this gallery we remember and pay tribute to the outstanding women who shaped the history of music.
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