This article about piano teaching music written by women composers was written by Dr. Lusine Gomtsian-Eyde. Dr. Gomtsian-Eyde is a neuroscientist, piano teacher and Program Manager of a Neuroscience Center at the University of Washington. She writes about music, learning and the brain at The Scientific Pianist. She spends her time outside of work with her family – visiting parks, traveling to see family and friends and hiding snacks from her toddler.
A lot of us piano teachers are interested in teaching more music by women composers. But when it comes down to choosing a piece, it can be hard to know where this repertoire fits.
Just like exposing our piano students to music from different time periods and regions of the world, it’s important to teach the music written by women composers.
Women composers often held a different role in life and saw things from a different perspective than their male counterparts did, which of course influenced their works.
If our students are to become well-rounded musicians who can properly interpret different types of works, they’ll need to study repertoire written by someone other than white European men.
But how do we select pedagogically appropriate pieces when the music simply isn’t as well known?
What does this music actually do for the student? What skills does it build? Is it a good follow-up to the Mozart sonata they just finished, or does it make more sense to learn later on? That’s where comparison comes in. When we can find connections between these lesser-known works to pieces we already teach, it becomes much easier to slot them into the curriculum with purpose.
Using comparison as a tool helps us:
- place lesser-known works in a familiar teaching sequence
- show students how musical ideas evolve between composers
- keep technique and musicianship moving forward without always jumping to the next “big name”
To be clear, this isn’t about throwing out Bach and Mozart. They’re not going anywhere. But when you’ve already taught one of their pieces, that’s the perfect time to introduce a complementary one from someone else.
Baroque and Classical Piano Music Pairings
Let’s look at the works of a couple of lesser-known women composers in these musical eras and how they would fit into our typical teaching curriculum.
Pairing No. 1: Hélène de Montgeroult + Bach invention
Hélène de Montgeroult’s études are expressive, but grounded in structure. They can work beautifully when a student has just finished a Bach invention and is ready for something more interpretive, but still technically focused.
Pro tip: Ask your student to identify where they see similar phrasing or use of multiple voicing in the pieces.
Pairing No. 2: Marianna Martines + Mozart or Clementi
Martines’ Sonata in A Major is a great option for students who’ve already played some Mozart and are ready for something a little less predictable but still very playable.
Her writing is elegant with clear phrasing and structure, but she throws in some harmonic surprises and textures that make it feel more individual. It’s a nice way to show students that not every Classical sonata has to sound the same.
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Romantic and 20th-Century Piano Music Pairings
Ah, the Romantics…
This era is when everything gets just a little more dramatic. These are the pieces that many students like to linger on. I don’t blame them – the textures are rich, the expression is big and there’s a real sense of identity in the music.
If you’re already teaching the music of Chopin, Schumann or Debussy, this is a great place to expand the piano repertoire with women composers whose work hits the same technical and musical marks but brings something different to the table.
Pairing No. 3: Maria Szymanowska + Chopin
Szymanowska’s music offers so, so much to the Romantic-loving student: lyrical lines, elegant textures and early Romantic expression which are strikingly similar to Chopin’s – with good reason.
She actually came first, and her work influenced him – not the other way around.
Szymanowska’s Nocturne in B Flat or Etude in F Minor are both excellent choices for students who love the feel of a Chopin prelude or nocturne, but could benefit from a fresh angle.
Technically and musically, these composers share common ground and complement each other beautifully.
Pairing No. 4: Amy Beach + Robert Schumann
Amy Beach’s Children’s Album, Op. 36 is a solid alternative to Schumann’s Album for the Young. The pieces are short, accessible and character-driven.
They’re great for students who are still developing control over phrasing and voicing.
Some pieces lean sweet, others a little more dramatic; the range of moods makes it easy to match up with a student’s personality or technical needs.
Pairing No. 5: Germaine Tailleferre + Debussy
Tailleferre’s Impromptu and Pastorale sparkle with that unmistakably French lightness, but without the density that makes some Debussy pieces a harder lift.
They’re modern without being abstract, and beautifully written for developing musicality, colour and timing before launching into a Debussy piece.
Knowing Where to Look
The hardest part of teaching piano music by women composers is often just knowing where to look.
Finding these pieces used to be tricky. They weren’t in method books. And even now, they rarely land in front of teachers unless we’re actively looking.
But today, we have the internet. 😊
IMSLP (International Music Score Library Project)
IMSLP offers an extensive collection of scores in the public domain, including a dedicated category for women composers.
You can explore works by composers like Hélène de Montgeroult, Maria Szymanowska and many others.
Hildegard Publishing Company
Hildegard Publishing focuses exclusively on publishing music by women composers, both historical and contemporary. Their catalogue includes piano works, chamber music and vocal pieces.
YouTube Playlists
If you’re willing to filter through all the poorer recordings to find the gems, YouTube can be a good place to peruse piano music by women composers. In particular, this playlist by Stacy Fahrion (of Whimsically Macabre fame) has 68 videos of excellent teaching pieces written by women composers.
You might also check out Piano Music by Women Composers from pianist and teacher Deborah Yardley Beers, and Daniel Harding’s Minervan Miniatures: Piano Music by Women Composers.
Exploring the Possibilities
There’s a huge body of beautiful, thoughtful and pedagogically rich music written by women that most of us were never taught to teach. And it’s not about making a statement or checking a box.
Rather, it’s about realising there’s a whole other layer to the repertoire we already love. When we start exploring these works, even just one or two at a time, we open up more possibilities for our students, and for ourselves, as musicians.
How do you choose piano music written by women composers?
Have you found a go-to piece which works beautifully in your teaching? Let us know in the comments so we can add it to our own repertoire lists. 😊
For more help selecting appropriate repertoire, visit the “Repertoire and Resources” section of our ‘Planning Lessons’ hub page.