Women in classical music
Open-knowledge reference entry
Women are active in all aspects of classical music, such as instrumental performance, vocal performance, orchestral conducting, choral conducting, scholarly research, and contemporary composition. However, compared to men, they are represented and recognized, especially at higher levels, in much lower numbers.
Although women have not had roles in symphony orchestras until recently, it has been much more common through the years for women to study musical instruments. In the 1800s, upper-class women were often expected to study an instrument, such as the harp, piano, guitar, or violin, or to learn to sing. It is only in recent years that women have performed in the soloist setting more frequently. Pianist (and composer) Clara Schumann and vocalist Jenny Lind were two rare examples prominent in the nineteenth century.
History
Sahakdukht and Khosrovidukht of the 8th century CE are among the earliest recorded women composers. Both are of Armenian origin and composed liturgical chants. In the 12th century, Hildegard of Bingen also wrote religious pieces. Women have been necessary for the functioning of adult choirs, which require the upper register that few men can sing, although Pope Leo IV (847–855 CE) banned women in choirs from singing in churches, and Pope Pius X banned women from church choirs in 1907.
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This entry incorporates text from “Women in classical music” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.