Classical Music

Women in Classical Music

If you look at the listings of the major orchestras in America you will see two things in common; very few of them are programming major pieces by women composers, and almost none have a woman on the podium. Despite the abundance of wonderful compositions by women, the world of classical music has been, for centuries, a man’s world.

Francesca Caccini, lutenist and composer

Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM | By Ruth Phinney

Published February 8, 2018 at 1:10 PM EST

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17th century singer, lutenist and composer Francesca Caccini was the daughter of Renaissance composer Giulio Caccini. Very little of her music survives, but her opera, “The Liberation of Ruggiero” is probably the very first opera by a woman composer. Listen to "The Liberation of Ruggiero."

This post is part WXXI Classical 91.5’s celebration of Women’s History Month. For more of these stories and other resources, check out Celebrating the Contributions of Women to Classical Music.