Music by Women Composers

Discover the diversity and quality of compositions by women who were long forbidden to publicly perform and compose music. Today, these musical gems offer a unique opportunity to experience the classical music world in a new way.

Here you will find a wide selection of Sheet music by Women Composers for performances and concerts. Immerse yourself in the world of Women Composers and be enchanted by the beauty and creativity of their music!

Selected sheet music by Women Composers for all instruments:

V. Olive

Clara Schumann – Musik als Lebensform

Woher? Wohin?

A. Schwab

Außergewöhnliche Komponistinnen

Komponistinnen in Japan und Deutschland

C. Heitmann

Die Orchester- und Kammermusik von Louise Farrenc

M. Kurtz

Sofia Gubaidulina

Women composers in publishing

C. Géliot

Mel Bonis

Vivienne Olive

H. Klein

"... mit obligater Nachtigallen- und Fliederblütenbegleitung"

I. Weiermüller et al.

Klaviermusik von Komponistinnen

Piano

F. Kukuck

Storm songs

Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella

C. Schumann

Three Romances

Viola, piano

R. Portman

Chocolat

Piano

R. Portman

Emma

Piano

B. Arens et al.

Piano Paintings

Piano

N. Boulanger

Deux Morceaux

Violin, piano

S. Ernst

Facets

2 flutes (duet)

Piano

E. Lutyens

Excerpta tractati logico Philosophici

Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella

P. Viardot-García et al.

Les filles de Cadix

Voice (medium), piano

Journal posts on Women Composers and Women in Music

Vocation: Composer - An Interview with Sophie Lacaze

How does one become a composer? What are the different stages in the composition process? How can the world around us inspire us to create musical works? These are the questions we asked French composer Sophie Lacaze.

Women in music: initiatives that make a difference

Despite progress in achieving gender equality in various fields, there is still a significant lack of female representation in the world of classical music. To address this issue, many countries have established initiatives to support female musicians in their careers, including associations and music festivals.

Antonio Oyarzábal – Unveiling the Hidden Gems of Female Composers

The London-based Basque pianist talks about his latest album "El Fin del Silencio" (The End Of Silence) of works by Latin American women composers and the challenges he has faced in his career in finding repertoire and scores by women composers.

An insight into the music of selected women composers:

Who are the best women composers of all time? In general, it is difficult to rate music, as tastes are known to differ! Here are examples of the diversity of works by women composers of different styles.

Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)

Saint Hildegard of Bingen was a polymath in the truest sense of the word and also exceptional among the saints. She was not only an authority in medicine and the science of remedies, she was also important as a theologian and mystic - and not least in music.

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12 Selected Songs of Saint Hildegard Sheet Music

12 selected songs of St. Hildegard

Ordo Virtutum for women's choir

Hildegard von Bingen - Songs

All the sheet music of Hildegard of Bingen

Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677)

The Italian Baroque composer Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677) was considered particularly prolific. No one else is said to have written more secular vocal music in Venice in the 17th century. She accompanied herself on the viola da gamba and was known for her excellent soprano voice.

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Cantate, Ariette e Duetti op.2

Sacri musicali affetti

Lagrime mie

All sheet music by Barbara Strozzi

Marianna von Martines (1744-1812)

The Austrian Marianna von Martines (1744-1812) was a pupil of Joseph Haydn and was also taught by Pietro Metastasio. With the publication of two piano sonatas in 1760, she was one of the first women composers whose works were printed.

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Concerto in A major for piano and orchestra

Sonata da Cimbalo G major

Concerto in C major for harpsichord and orchestra

All sheet music by Marianna von Martines

Fanny Hensel (1805-1847)

"If Fanny had been a man, she would rank among the great composers of the 19th century." (Chen Reiss, opera singer) Anyone familiar with the extensive oeuvre of Fanny Hensel (1805-1847) will have no doubt about this statement! Best of all, her multifaceted oeuvre is only just being grasped in its full scope.

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8 Songs for Medium Voice

Oratorio based on images from the Bible

Two Pieces for Cello and Piano Sheet Music

Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847). Two Pieces for Violoncello and Piano (incl. Fantasy in G minor)

All scores by Fanny Hensel

Louise Farrenc (1804-1875)

French composer, pianist and musicologist Louise Farrenc (1804-1875) enjoyed success in her lifetime with her classical-romantic style of composition, founded a publishing house and was professor of piano at the Paris Conservatoire.

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Piano Quintet No. 1 in A minor op. 30

Sextet in C minor op.40

The orchestral and chamber music of Louise Farrenc

All sheet music by Louise Farrenc

Clara Schumann (1819-1896)

The German pianist and composer Clara Schumann (1819-1896) is considered one of the most important female composers and also made a name for herself worldwide as a virtuoso pianist.

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Anniversary Song Album Sheet Music

Selected Piano Works

Clara Schumann - Music as a way of life

All sheet music by Clara Schumann

Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944)

The admiring reviews of figures such as Camille Saint-Saëns and Georges Bizet show that Cécile Chaminade was one of the few female composers of her time to achieve a high profile.

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Concertino in D Major, Op. 107 Sheet Music

Concertino in D major, op. 107 for flute and piano

Meditation for solo instrument and organ

Mass op. 167 for 2 voices and organ

All scores by Cécile Chaminade

Mel Bonis (1858-1937)

French composer Mélanie Bonis (1858-1937) published many of her works under the pseudonym Mel Bonis and is one of the most important women composers.

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Sonata for flute and piano

Piano Music

21 Composizioni per Organo

All sheet music by Mel Bonis

Ethel Smyth (1858-1944)

Composer, writer and women's rights activist - British Ethel Mary Smyth (1858-1944) is one of the most important women composers. Throughout her life she struggled for proper recognition of her works.

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The March of the Women

Concerto for Violin, Horn & Piano

Complete Piano Works

All sheet music by Ethel Smyth

Amy Beach (1867-1944)

Child prodigy and self-taught composer - Amy Beach (1867-1944), born Amy Cheney in New Hampshire, was the first American composer to write a symphony. The art song was central to her compositional output.

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Summer Dreams Op.47 (piano four hands)

Trio op. 150 for: Violin, Violoncello, Piano

Piano Music of Amy Beach

All sheet music by Amy Beach

Alma Mahler (1879-1964)

Alma Maria Mahler-Werfel was a personality of the art, music and literature scene in the first half of the 20th century.

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All Songs

Three early songs for choir

Alma Mahler - Arnold Schönberg. The correspondence.

All scores by Alma Mahler

Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)

The French composer Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) was surrounded by great musicians in her much too short life: among many other personalities, Charles Gounod, Jules Massenet and Camille Saint-Saëns were family friends, Louis Vierne was her organ teacher and she took composition lessons with Gabriel Fauré. In 1913, Boulanger won the Grand Prix de Rome, the first time in its 110-year history that a woman had won the coveted prize.

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2 Morceaux: Nocturne and Cortège for violin and piano

D'un matin de printemps

Quatre Chants

All scores by Lili Boulanger

Sofia Gubaidulina (b. 1931)

"Whether I am modern or not does not matter to me. What is important to me is the inner truth of my music." Sofia Gubaidulina (*1931) is one of the most important Russian composers of the generation after Dmitri Shostakovich.

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Offertorium: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

Offertory: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

Piano Works by Sofia Gubaidulina Sheet Music

Selected piano works

From the Visions of Hildegard of Bingen / An Angel ... for alto voice and double bass

All scores by Sofia Gubaidulina

Kaija Saariaho (*1952)

The Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho (*1952) is already one of the most successful composers during her lifetime. The recording of her opera L'amour de loin, which has already been performed at the Salzburg Festival and at the Metropolitan Opera, was awarded a Grammy.

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Laterna Magica for Orchestra

Vent Nocturne for viola and electronics

Nocturne for violin

All sheet music by Kaija Saariaho

Judith Weir (b. 1954)

British composer with Scottish roots Judith Weir (b. 1954) became the first woman to be awarded the post of Master of the Queen's Music in 2014. She is one of the most important female composers of our time and writes mostly operas and vocal works, but also orchestral and chamber music.

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A Song Of Departure for: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass and Piano

The song sung true for choir

Ave maris stella for choir and organ

Rachel Portman (b. 1960)

In 1997, British composer Rachel Portman (b. 1960) became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Film Score for the film "Emma". In 2003, her opera "The Little Prince" based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was successfully premiered.

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Juniper for: Violin, Violoncello, Piano

Chocolat Main Titles

Emma

All scores by Rachel Portman

Rebecca Saunders (*1967)

British composer Rebecca Saunders received the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 2019 for her outstanding work in contemporary music.

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Fury II for double bass and ensemble

to an utterance for piano

Solitude for Cello Solo

All sheet music by Rebecca Saunders

Alma Deutscher (*2005)

Child prodigy Alma Deutscher, born in England in 2005, composed her first piano sonata at six, her first opera at seven, a violin concerto at nine and a piano concerto at 12. In March 2023, her third opera, "Des Kaisers neue Walzer", was premiered in Salzburg. (header photo: © G.Deutscher & Mothwurf)

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From My Book of Melodies

Sheet Music by Alma Deutscher

Available sheet music by Women Composers

Here you will find a still incomplete, but constantly growing overview of all available sheet music for compositions by women composers. If you would like to filter sheet music directly for your instrument, visit our shop page: Sheet Music by Women Composers The overview is constantly being expanded!