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Women Composers: Compendia and Repertoire Guides

This research guide suggests resources that may be useful in researching the lives and works of women classical composers.

Compendia and Encyclopedias

Available through Oxford Bibliographies Online, Heather Hadlock's Women in Music provides a useful collection of bibliographies, including specific topics such as scores, general overviews, historical background, feminist musicology, and women as composers, professional performers, and amateur performers.

Repertoire Guides and Catalogs

These catalogs and repertoire guides may provide more insight into works by Women composers.

Among the 2300 entries in the Sphinx Catalog of Latin-American Cello Works includes works by several women composers including Graciela Castillo, Norma Fernandez, and Amy Elise Horrocks.  The Catalog will eventually include biographical information on all listed composers.

The Institute for Composer Diversity promotes music written by composers who identify with traditionally underrepresented groups.  The Institute's website includes databases of composers and musical works, as well as a page with links to other resources with similar missions.