12/03/2025
"I once believed that I possessed creative talent, but I have given up this idea. A woman must not desire to compose—there has never yet been one able to do it. Should I expect to be the one?"- Clara Schumann
Oh, Clara. If only you knew.
They told her women couldn’t compose.
She believed them.
And then she composed anyway.
She played better than most men.
She wrote music that made Brahms weep.
She doubted herself. They doubted her more.
Yet here we are, quoting her.
Women composers exist. They always have.
For example:
Hildegard von Bingen wrote music when women weren’t even allowed to speak in church.
Barbara Strozzi composed more works than most of her male contemporaries.
F***y Mendelssohn’s Lieder were published under her brother’s name.
Lili Boulanger became the first woman to win the Prix de Rome at 19 years old.
Florence Price broke barriers as the first Black woman to have her symphony performed by a major orchestra.
Kaija Saariaho filled concert halls with her ethereal sounds, proving that innovation has no gender.
They were told no. They wrote anyway.
They were forgotten. Now, we remember.
The world of music wasn’t built for them. So they built their own.
They wrote, they fought, they ignored the noise.
They didn’t ask for permission.
Neither should we.
Happy Women’s Day! ❤️