References

Appendix 1: Greatest Female Composers

Artistic ability is gender-neutral. That is one of the points I've tried to make in these pages. As such, I hesitated to provide a specific list of female composers. The most prominent among them have already been included with their male peers in the lists already provided. In view of the historical bias against female composers, however, I think that pulling them together into this special list will help balance the record, and make it easier for listeners to discover the much great music that has been overlooked and neglected for so long. It was compiled from a number of shorter lists and articles that can be found in the References Page, mainly under Group C.

 There are eighty-some names on this list. No doubt I have missed some, and the list may ultimately grow to 100 or more. Any reader who has suggestions for additions, please let me know.

Bold-faced names on the list have already been included in the top-200 lists, where you can find some further information and portraits. Most of the rest are recent and contemporary composers who have not yet been evaluated in a historical context. Nearly all have informative entries in Wikipedia as well.

Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179); German - Hymns and Songs ;  Ave generosa ; Ordo Virtutum

Maddalena Casulana (c1544-90); Italian (Venetian) - Madrigales; Morir non può mio cuore

Francesca Caccini  (1587 - after 1641); Italian - La liberazione di Ruggiero (opera); 'lasciatemi qui solo' (Il primo libro delle Musiche)

Barbara Strozzi (1619 –1677); Italian (Venetian) - Amor domiglione'L'eraclito amoroso' from Cantate e Ariette, opus 2; Lagrime mie, complete cantata

Isabella Leonarda (1620-1704); Italian -  Sonata decima ;  12 Sonatas, Op.16; Magnificat; Messa Prima, Op.XVIII (1696)

Elizabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729); French - Suite in A minor (harpsichord); Violin sonata no. 1 in  D minor; Céphale et Procris (opera)

Anna Amalia Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel (1739 –1807) German - Erwin und Elmire (opera): Overture ; Sono sposa e sono amante; Divertimento in B-Dur (c.1780)

Marianna Martines (1744-1812); Austrian] - Overture ("Sinfonia") in C Major ; Mass No. 2 in G Major (1760)

Maria Szymanowska  (1789-1831); Polish - Polonaise in F minor; Fantaisie pour le pianoforte (1820) ;  Wilija,naszych strumieni rodzica (1830), for soprano and piano; Serenade for celloand piano (1820)

Louise Farrenc (1804-1875); French - Trio for flute, cello, & piano; SymphonyNo.3 in G Minor, Op.36 (1847); Valse-Brillante op.48 for piano

Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847); German - Overture in C;  Hiob Cantata;  String Quartet in E flat major; Notturnoin G minor; Das Jahr; Bergeslust

Emilie Mayer (1812–1883); German- Symphony No. 2 in E minor (1847);  String Quartet No 1 in Gminor, op 14;         Impromptu, Op. 44; Piano Concerto in B-FlatMajor (ca.1845-57

Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896); German - Piano concerto; Piano Trio in G minor; Liebesfrühling, Op. 37: No. 11, Warum willst Du and're fragen

Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884); English - Symphony #1 in C minor; Symphony#2 in A minor; Andante für Klarinette und Orchester; Masque of Pandora Overture; Sacredchoral music

Augusta Holmès (1847-1903); French - Andromède, symphonic poem (1883); Roland Furieux, symphonic poem; La Montagne Noire (Der schwarze Berg) – promotional excerpt

Teresa Carreño  (1853-1917); Venezuelan - Ballade, Op.15;  La falsa nota" Op. 39; String Quartet in B Minor: I. Allegro

Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944); French - Konzertstück in C# minor for piano and orchestra op. 40 (1888); Callirhoe Suite, Op. 37 (1888) from the ballet of the same name; Concertino for flute andorchestra op. 107 (1902); Thème varié, op 89 (1898)

Ethel Smyth (1858- 1944); English - The Wreckers (1904) opera overture; String Quartet in E minor(1912); The Boatswain's Mate (Overture) (1914); Concerto for Violin, Horn and Orchestra (1927); Serenadein D Major: I. Allegro non troppo

Adele aus der Ohe (1861-1937); German - "By the Fountain". Etude de Concert no. 2 Op. 13

Amy Beach (1867-1944); American - Gaelic SymphonypianoconcertoMass in E flat majorCalbide (A)(B)

Lang, Margaret Ruthven (1867-1972); American - Three Piano Pieces; Irish Love Song 

 Leokadiya Kashperova  (1872-1940); Russian - Symphony In B MinorSonata for Cello and Piano No.1

Johanna Senfter (1879-1961); German - Sextett in G Minor, Op.44; Symphony No. 4 in B flat Major, Op. 50; Fantasie und Fuge über Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern

Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979); French - 3 Pieces for cello and piano  

Mary Dickenson-Auner (1880-1965); Irish - Irish Symphony, Op. 16 (1941)

Rebecca Clarke (1886- 1879); English - ViolaSonata (1919); 2 Movements for StringQuartetTiger,Tiger

Dora Pejačević (1885-1923); Croatian - Piano Concerto in G Minor, Op.33 (1913); Symphony in F sharp minor, Op. 41 (1918); String Quartet In C Major, Op. 58: Allegro Ma Non Tanto (1922)

Florence Price (1887-1953); American - Symphony in E minor (1932); Concertoin One Movement (for piano and orchestra) (1934); Symphony No. 3 in C minor (1938); Violin Concerto No.  2 in D minor (1952)

Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983); French - Le Marchand d’oiseaux, ballet (1923); Piano Concerto (1924); Concertode la Fidélité for coloratura soprano (1981) (begins about 2:30 after interview in French)

Lili Boulanger (1893-1918); FrenchFaust et Helene (1913); Vielle prière bouddhique; D’unMatin du Printemps,

Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953); American- String Quartet (1931); Suitefor Wind Quintet (1952)

 Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994); Irish - Nocturne (1950/1951); Symphony for Double String Orchestra (1953); Romanza for Viola & Orchestra (1979); String Quartet No. 11 (1976)

Grażyna Bacewicz (1909 — 1969); Polish - Symphony #4

Peggy Glanville-Hicks (1912-1990); Australian - Concerto Romantico for Viola and Orchestra

Vítězslava Kaprálová (1915-1940); Czech -Suita rustica (1938); Military Sinfonietta, Op. 11; Dubnovápreludia (April preludes) op.13 (1937); Trio pro dechové nástroje; Waving Farewell (Sbohem a satecek) Op. 14

Ruth Gipps (1921-1999); English - Symphony No. 3 Op. 57 (1965); Song for Orchestra 

Sofia Gubaidulina  (1931-); Russian - Offertorium, concerto for violin and orchestra (1986); Light of the End (2006); Johannes Passion (1975) 

Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016); American - The Wanderer (1984)

Gloria Coates (1938- ); American - Symphony No. 7 

Joan Tower (1938-); American - Concerto for Orchestra Part 1Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman,” Made in America (2006), “Sequoia

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (1939-); American - Symphony No. 2 "Cello" (c.1985) 

Meredith Monk (1942-); American - Strand (Gathering) from Songs of Ascension; Atlas (scenes from the opera)

Judith Lang Zaimont  (1945- ); American - Symphony No. 4 ,“Pure, Cool (Water)” 

Shulamit Ran (1949- ); Israeli/American - Legends

Libby Larsen (1950); American - Symphony No. 4 

Judith Bingham  (1952- ); English -  The Darkness is No DarknessThe Pilgrimes Travels  

Alla Pavlova  (1952-); Russian - Symphony #2 

Kaija Saariaho  (1952-); Finnish - L’Amour de Loin” 

Chen  Yi (1953-); Chinese - Nu Wa Creates Human Beings;  Symphony No.2

Judith Weir (1954- ); British - A Night at the Chinese Opera (opera), Flying Prelude

Sally Beamish  (1956-); English  – Viola concerto (1995) Laura Kaminsky, (1956- )-[2]  As One (opera)

Anne Dudley (1958- ); English - Hail the Superheroes (world premiere) 

Eve Beglarian (1958- ) American - The Continuous Life 

Rachel Portman (1960- ); British - excerpts from various soundtracks

Jocelyn Pook (1960- ); English - Where We Came From

Elena Kats-Chernin,  (1957- ); Uzbeki/Australian - Piano Concerto No. 2 (“Ragtime”, 2001) Wild Swans Suite 

Melinda Wagner (1957- ); American - Concerto for Flute,Strings and Percussion

Errollyn Wallen (1958- ); English - Mighty RiverTriple Concerto

Julia Wolfe (1958- ); American - Fountain of Youth

Unsuk Chin (1961-); Korean -  Alice in Wonderland, opera (2007)

Jennifer Higdon (1962-); American - Blue Cathedral

Debbie Wiseman (1963 - ); British - The Musical Zodiac

Roxanna Panufnik (1968- ); British - Three Paths to Peace  2008

Valerie Coleman (1970- ); American - Umoja 

Zoe Keating (1972- ); Canadian - The Path 

Gabriela Lena Frank (1972- ); American - Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout

Sarah Kirkland Snider (1973- ); American - UnrememberedKyrie

Lera Auerbach (1973-); Russian - Symphony No. 1  

Paola Prestini (1975- ); Italian/American -  “Oceanic Verses,” Sjaella

Du Yun (1977- ) Chinese - Angels’ Bone (opera) 

Anna Thorvaldsdottir (1977- ); Icelandic - Metacosmos

Cheryl Frances-Hoad (1980- ); British - Your Servant, Elizabeth (World Première); Between the Skies, the River and the Hills – Scherzo 

Phamie Gow (1980- ); Scottish - Dancing Hands

Debrinka Tabakova (1980- ); Bulgarian/British - Concerto for Cello and Strings

Missy Mazzoli (1980- ); American - Dark with Excessive BrightOverture

Anna Clyne (1980- ); English - double concerto, “Prince of Clouds” 

Jessie Montgomery (1981- ); American - StarburstRhapsody No. 1 

Angelica Negron (1981- ); Puerto Rican - Pescadores; Sembrar & Pasajero; Sueno Recurrente No. 1

Charlotte Bray (1982- ); British - Voyage

Caroline Shaw (1982- ); American -  To the Sky

Hannah Kendall (1984- ); British - The Spark Catchers 








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