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.

Elizabeth Jacquet de La Guerre - composer specializes in all areas of music

Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM | By Ellen Robertson

Published February 26, 2019 at 3:51 PM EST

Elizabeth Jacquet was born into a Parisian family of musicians. She was educated in the court of Louis the 14th, and after her marriage to organist Marin de La Guerre, she taught, composed and gave concerts to great acclaim. Elizabeth Jacquet de La Guerre wrote in a wide variety of styles including opera, ballet, chamber music and cantatas, and was one of the few well-known female composers of the Baroque era. Listen to her Sonata No. 2 in D Major for violin and continuo.

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.