Brilliant Classics Releases New Female Composers Box Set

The Dutch record label has released a 25-disc box set featuring female composers from the past to the present

Brilliant Classics’ new release “Female Composers,” presents numerous individual recordings dating from 1994 to 2024, offering a comprehensive insight into the works of women composers throughout history.

Among the featured composers include Amy Beach, Alma Mahler, Augusta Read Thomas, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Bianca Maria Meda, Barbara Strozzi, Clara Schumann, Cécile Chaminade, Dora Pejačević, Errollyn Wallen, Fanny Mendelssohn, Francesca Caccini, Germaine Tailleferre, and Galina Ustvolskaya. 

More include Grazyna Bacewicz, Graciane Finzi, Hildegard Von Bingen, Helène De Montgeroult, Ida Presti, Isabella Leonarda, Koharik Alis Gazarossian, Karola Obermüller, Louise Farrenc, Misato Mochizuki, María Luisa Anido, Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen, Mel Bonis, Pauline Viardot Garcia, Patrizia Montanaro, Rebecca Clarke, Sofia Gubaidulina, Santa Ratniece, Tania Léon, Ursula Mamlok, and Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet de La Guerre. 

To purchase and listen to the collection, click here. 

The artists included on the discs comprise Ensemble San Felice, Cappella di Santa Maria degli Angiolini, Cappella Artemisia, Canto Fiorito, Allegri String Quartet, and Trio Rigamonti. 

More featured musicians include Barbara Zanichelli, Elena Cecchi Fedi, Renata Dubinskaite, Francesca Lanfranco, Simone Pierini, Linda di Carlo, Gaia Sokoli, Mark Viner, Luca Quintavalle, Nare Karoyan, Salvatore Fortunato, Fabio Perciballi, Cinzia Milani, Morta Grigaliunaite, Ivan Sokolov, Marina Comparato, Elisa Triulzi, Ekaterina Litvintseva, Catharina Kroeger, Monica Lonero, Martina Frezzotti, Federico Bardazzi, Candace Smith, Gian Luca Lastraioli, and Sergey Galaktionov. 

“The revival of interest in female classical composers reflects a growing recognition of their overlooked contributions to music history,” reads the press release. “For centuries, women composers were marginalized, their works overshadowed by their male counterparts. However, recent efforts by musicians, scholars, and institutions have brought these composers into the spotlight, highlighting the richness and diversity of their compositions.

“This renewed focus stems from a broader movement toward inclusivity in the arts, challenging traditional narratives that have historically excluded women. The rise of feminist musicology has also played a key role, offering fresh perspectives on these composers’ lives and works … A long due homage to the art and voice of female composers, spanning nearly a thousand years!”