List of 20th-century American women composers

This is a list of 20th-century American women composers ordered alphabetically by surname.

Contents: 

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

A

• Mildred Adair (1895–1943) ^[1]
• Esther Allan (1914–1985) ^[2]
• Beth Anderson (born 1950) ^[3]
• Elinor Armer (born 1939) ^[4]
• Clarice Assad (born 1978) ^[5]
• Lera Auerbach (born 1973) ^[6]
• May Aufderheide (1888–1972) ^[7]

B

• Elaine Barkin (born 1932) ^[8]
• Floy Little Bartlett (1883–1955) ^[9]
• Amy Beach (1867–1944) ^[10]
• Eve Beglarian (born 1958) ^[11]
• Lauren Bernofsky (born 1967) ^[12]
• Carla Bley (born 1938) ^[13]
• Margaret Bonds (1913–1972) ^[14]
• Radie Britain (1899–1994) ^[15]
• Rosemary Brown (1916–2001) ^[16]
• Canary Lee Burton (born 1942) ^[17]

C

• Wendy Carlos (born 1939)
• Gloria Coates (1938–2023) ^[18]
• Nellie Weldon Cocroft (1885–1986) ^[19]
• Valerie Coleman
• Sylvia Constantinidis (born 1962) ^[20]

D

• Katherine Kennicott Davis (1892–1980) ^[21]
• Emma Lou Diemer (1927–2024) ^[22]

E

• Marti Epstein (born 1959) ^[23]
• Reena Esmail (born 1983) ^[24]

F

• Sylvia Fine (1913–1991) ^[25]
• Vivian Fine (1913–2000) ^[26]

G

• Miriam Gideon (1906–1996) ^[27]
• Annie Gosfield (born 1960) ^[28]

H

• Juliana Hall (born 1958) ^[29]
• Barbara Harbach (born 1946) ^[30]
• Melissa Hui (born 1966) ^[31]
• Jennifer Higdon (born 1962) ^[32]

K

• Laura Karpman (born 1959) ^[33]
• Barbara Kolb (born 1939)

L

• Joan La Barbara (born 1947) ^[34]
• Anne La Berge (born 1955) ^[35]
• Vanessa Lann (born 1968) ^[36]
• Libby Larsen (born 1950) ^[37]
• Tania León (born 1943) ^[38]

M

• Linda Martinez (1975–2005) ^[39]
• Josephine McGill (1877–1919) ^[40]
• Cindy McTee (born 1953) ^[41]
• Missy Mazzoli (born 1980) ^[42]
• Meredith Monk (born 1942) ^[43]

O

• Pauline Oliveros (1932–2016) ^{[44] [45]}

P

• Judith Palmer
• Florence Price (1887–1953) ^[46]

R

• Nancy Raabe (born 1954) ^[47]
• Shulamit Ran (born 1947) ^[48]

S

• Laura Schwendinger (born 1962) ^[49]
• Amy Scurria (born 1973) ^[50]
• Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901–1953) ^[51]
• Alex Shapiro (born 1962) ^[52]
• Judith Shatin (born 1949) ^[53]
• Caroline Shaw (born 1982) ^[54]
• Faye-Ellen Silverman (born 1947) ^[55]
• Netty Simons (1913–1994) ^[56]
• Linda Catlin Smith (born 1957) ^[57]
• Cristina Spinei (born 1984) ^[58]
• Pauline Anna Strom (1946–2020) ^[59]

T

• Augusta Read Thomas (born 1964) ^[60]
• Karen P. Thomas (born 1957) ^[61]
• Joan Tower (born 1938) ^[62]

V

• Lois V. Vierk (born 1951) ^[63]

W

• Melinda Wagner (born 1957) ^[64]
• Shirley Walker (1945-2006)
• Gwyneth Van Anden Walker (born 1947) ^[65]
• Wang Jie (born 1980)
• Edwina Florence Wills (1915–2002)
• Diane Wittry
• Julia Wolfe (born 1958) ^[66]

Z

• Pamela Z (born 1956) ^[67]
• Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (born 1939) ^[68]

References

1. "Adair, Mildred". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
2. "Allan, Esther". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
3. "Anderson, Beth". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
4. "Armer, Elinor". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
5. "Assad, Clarice". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
6. "Auerbach, Lera". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
7. "Aufderheide, May". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
8. "Barkin, Elaine". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
9. "Bartlett, Floy Little". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
10. "Beach, Amy". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
11. "Beglarian, Eve". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
12. "Bernofsky, Lauren". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
13. "Bley, Carla". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
14. "Bonds, Margaret". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
15. "Britain, Radie". Texas State Historical Association: Handbook of Texas. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
16. Martin, Douglas (December 2, 2001). "Rosemary Brown, a Friend of Dead Composers, Dies at 85". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 5, 2021.
17. "Canary Burton". musicalics.com. May 2, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
18. "Coates, Gloria". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
19. "Nellie Estelle Weldon Cocroft". RagPiano.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
20. "Constantinidis, Sylvia, 1962–". viaf.org. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
21. "Katherine K. Davis Papers, 1908–1981". Concord Free Public Library. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
22. "Emma Lou Diemer, composer... November 24 in History". BrainyHistory. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
23. "Marti Epstein". Discogs. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
24. "Composers: Reena Esmail". Classics For Kids. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
25. "Sylvia Fine". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
26. Raymond, Jennifer (April 9, 2000). "Vivian Fine Obituary". The Guardian . Retrieved September 5, 2021.
27. "Miriam Gideon". American Composers Alliance. January 1957. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
28. "Gosfield, Annie". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
29. Giraudet, Jean-Paul (March 8, 2013). "Juliana Hall". musicalics.com (in French). Retrieved September 6, 2021.
30. "Barbara Harbach (b.1946): The Music of, Vol. 4 – The Soul of Ra and Transformations for String Orchestra, Echoes from Tomorrow for Chamber Ensemble, Freeing the Caged Bird and Lilia Polka for Wind Quintet". Records International. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
31. "Hui, Melissa". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
32. "Higdon, Jennifer". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
33. "Laura Karpman". musicalics.com (in French). April 23, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
34. "Barbara, Joan La". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
35. "Berge, Anne La". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
36. "Lann, Vanessa". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
37. "Larsen, Libby". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
38. "Leon, Tania". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
39. "Linda Martinez, 29; Gifted Pianist and Promising Composer" Los Angeles Times , May 26, 2005. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
40. Barbara L. Tischler (November 26, 2013). "McGill, Josephine". Grove Music Online. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2292295. ISBN   978-1-56159-263-0 . Retrieved September 23, 2021.
41. Giraudet, Jean-Paul (March 25, 2013). "Cindy McTee". musicalics.com (in French). Retrieved September 6, 2021.
42. "Mazzoli, Melissa". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
43. "Monk, Meredith". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
44. "Oliveros, Pauline". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
45. Wagner, Laura, "Pauline Oliveros, Pioneer Of 'Deep Listening,' Dies At 84". Cited an Instagram post by flautist Claire Chase and confirmation by friends on Oliveros' Facebook page. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
46. "Price, Florence". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
47. Behling, Andrea Behling (November 19, 2013). "From critic to composer". Hometown News LP. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
48. "Ran, Shulamit". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
49. Giraudet, Jean-Paul (May 23, 2004). "Laura Elise Schwendinger". musicalics.com (in French). Retrieved September 6, 2021.
50. "Amy Scurria". musicalics.com. July 16, 2008. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
51. Giraudet, Jean-Paul (July 15, 2003). "Ruth Crawford". musicalics.com (in French). Retrieved September 6, 2021.
52. Giraudet, Jean-Paul (January 26, 2005). "Alex Shapiro". musicalics.com (in French). Retrieved September 6, 2021.
53. "Shatin, Judith". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
54. "Partita for 8 Voices, by Caroline Shaw (New Amsterdam Records)". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
55. Giraudet, Jean-Paul (March 25, 2013). "Faye-Ellen Silverman". musicalics.com (in French). Retrieved September 6, 2021.
56. Giraudet, Jean-Paul (March 25, 2013). "Netty Simons". musicalics.com (in French). Retrieved September 6, 2021.
57. "Smith, Linda Catlin". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
58. "Cristina Spinei: Music for Dance". Toccata Classics. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
59. "Pauline Anna Strom". musicalics.com (in French). December 21, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
60. "Thomas, Augusta Read". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
61. "Thomas, Karen P". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
62. "Tower, Joan". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
63. "Vierk, Lois V". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
64. Giraudet, Jean-Paul (March 25, 2013). "Melinda Wagner". musicalics.com (in French). Retrieved September 6, 2021.
65. Giraudet, Jean-Paul (March 15, 2002). "Gwyneth V. Walker". musicalics.com (in French). Retrieved September 6, 2021.
66. "Wolfe, Julia". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
67. "Pamela Z". Living Music Database. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
68. "Zwilich, Ellen Taaffe". composers-classical-music.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.