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.

Marcelle Germaine Taillefesse - 20th century French composer

Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM | By Ruth Phinney

Published February 26, 2020 at 1:58 PM EST

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Marcelle Germaine Taillefesse studied piano with her mother and took lessons at the Paris Conservatory, where she won prizes in accompaniment, harmony, and counterpoint. However, her parents considered music to be an inappropriate career for a woman and – to spite her father – she changed her name to Tailleferre. Germaine became a member of Les Six, the only woman in this influential group of early 20th century French composers.