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.

Hélène Grimaud - French pianist sees vibrant color both in music and in the world around her

Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM | By Ellen Robertson

Published February 22, 2019 at 3:51 PM EST

Pianist Helene Grimaud at the Mandarin Hotel in New York on Feb. 9, 2016. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times)

French pianist Hélène Grimaud describes herself as a contrary child who was a trial to her teachers. She began piano at age nine, and at 16 she was awarded the Paris Conservatory’s First Prize Diploma. She experiences synesthesia, seeing music as color – D minor is blue, E-flat major is green. Grimaud is a passionate wildlife conservationist, and founder of the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York. Listen to her perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2.

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.