Mission Statement

While violin sonatas by male composers of the Romantic era remain widely studied, performed, and recognized as part of the standard repertoire, significantly less attention has been given to the works of women composers from the same period. Research on women’s contributions to nineteenth-century music is often fragmented and difficult to access, limiting opportunities for performers, teachers, and students to discover this important repertoire. The creation of the Violin Sonatas by Women website seeks to address this gap by providing an accessible, comprehensive resource dedicated to educating, promoting, and preserving the works of these deserving yet historically overlooked composers.

Currently, the Violin Sonatas by Women website features twenty-five violin sonatas by fifteen European women composers of the Romantic era. The site includes biographical information on each composer, as well as access to available editions, manuscripts, recordings, historical context, and pedagogical resources. Additional materials, including supplemental exercises, études, and performance notes, are provided to assist teachers and performers in incorporating this repertoire into their studies and programming.

This project serves as a resource for both students and professionals by increasing awareness of these composers, providing greater historical understanding, and identifying technical and musical challenges within their works. By making these compositions more accessible, the website encourages their inclusion in teaching curricula and performance repertoire while contributing to the long-overdue recognition of women’s contributions to the violin literature.

The Violin Sonatas by Women project is ongoing, with additional editions, recordings, and resources added as they become available. The current focus of the website is on advanced published violin sonatas composed between 1863 and 1917; future expansions will include works by women composers from additional historical periods and geographic regions.