Women Composers for Piano Wednesday, March 06, 2013
”Women Composers in History” is a collection of piano works by women who were, and sometimes still are, influential in the world of piano music. There are more female composers of piano music than we may think. This collection of piano pieces presents works by eight women composers, all born in the nineteenth century. All of the women began piano lessons at around four years of age, and began composing at a young age, between four and nine years old. All these women continued to be active in music for a lifetime. Fanny Mendelssohn wrote her own wedding music the night she was engaged. Amy Beach had to wait until she was a widow before she could pursue her music career on a public level. Clara Schumann held the position of principal piano teacher of the Frankfurt Hochschen Conservatory from 1878-1892. Teresa Carreno 
played for Abraham Lincoln at the White House when she was only ten years old. She went on to become a piano teacher, and Edward MacDowell was one of her students. A one paragraph biography is given for each composer. As you read these short biographies, it will amaze you how intertwined the lives of the pianists and composers were.