International Women’s Day 2025: Pianists you need to know
For this year’s International Women’s Day, we profile some of our favorite women pianists of the past, present, and possibly the future.
The piano hasn’t always been an obvious choice for women musicians. The instrument itself, for one thing, is designed around the larger span of the average male hand. Beyond anatomical considerations, of course, there have been severe social restrictions placed on women musicians of all kinds throughout the instrument’s 300-year history. Even today, with women's representation in popular music at an all-time high, just 35% of participants in charting hits identify as women.
So, in light of this year’s International Women’s Day, we thought it worth taking a moment to spotlight a small selection of the most interesting, influential, and inspiring women pianists we know.
We’ll start at the beginning: In the years that followed the modern piano’s invention around 1700, learning to play was restricted to the select few who could afford and acquire one. Being from the wrong social class would disqualify you from the opportunity immediately, but even women born into relative privilege faced an uphill battle first to learn and then to receive any recognition for their efforts.
Despite this, we do know of many pre-twentieth century women who became accomplished piano players and composers. Some, like Maria Anna Mozart, were widely acclaimed during their time, and managed to make a successful career of their playing, despite prevailing attitudes. Many, however, were not given the credit they deserved until long after their deaths.
Take Fanny Mendelssohn, for example. The German composer grew up in early 19th century Germany, also the older sister of a far more famous brother, Felix Mendelssohn. She received instruction from the same teachers, composed prolifically, and yet remains a relative unknown. Several of Fanny’s pieces were originally published under her brother’s name, owing to her family’s attitude towards her talents. Fanny died relatively young but did publish a collection of songs under her own name during her lifetime, and researchers continue to reattribute works to her to this day.
Another pianist of the era who received considerably wider recognition during her lifetime was fellow German Clara Schumann. Regarded as a virtuoso from a young age, she toured European concert halls as a child and continued throughout her life. A number of films have been made documenting Schumann’s life, and she was even featured on the 100 Deutsche Mark note until it left circulation with the introduction of the Euro.
In terms of widespread influence, however, there can be few women players as consequential as French teacher, conductor, and composer Nadia Boulanger. Born at the tail end of the 19th century, she studied composition in Paris, but gave it up in favor of teaching instead. Among her students were many well-known pianists from around the world, including Philip Glass, Quincy Jones, and Burt Bacharach.
Moving into the 20th century proper, it’s hard to ignore the influence that women pianists had on the development of Jazz in the United States. One of the most famous names of the time, both for her playing and for her criticism of racial segregation, was Hazel Scott. Born in Trinidad, she moved to New York at age four and received a scholarship to study at Juilliard shortly thereafter. She performed on stage throughout her teenage years and early adulthood, becoming well-known as a jazz singer. In 1950, Scott became the first Black American to host her own TV show, The Hazel Scott Show. Sadly, she was accused of communist sympathies during the era of McCarthyism and the show was canceled in its first year. Scott moved to Paris in the wake of these events and performed across Europe before returning to the US in the mid-1960s.
Other women who have left an indelible mark on the history of jazz piano include composer, singer and bandleader Lil Hardin Armstrong (second wife and frequent collaborator of Louis Armstrong); the prolific Mary Lou Williams, who arranged for Duke Ellington and taught and mentored Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and others; and Lovie Austin, who led her own band, the Blue Serenaders, and collaborated with a who’s who of the era’s jazz and blues scenes.
No list of influential pianists, regardless of gender, would feel complete without the inclusion of Nina Simone. Widely held as one of the greatest singers and pianists of all time, her legacy of songwriting and performance forever altered the course of 20th-century jazz, blues, gospel, classical, and pop music. Known for her larger-than-life personality and sharp wit that continued into her final years, Simone is also considered one of the leading voices of the American Civil Rights movement.
Fast forward to today, and — while things are far from perfect — there is a relative abundance of women pianists making themselves heard on the world’s biggest stages. Within the sphere of classical piano alone, several names stand out as worthy of inclusion in this list.
Martha Argerich, a Swiss-Argentine pianist, is often considered to be one of the greatest pianists of all time, period. Throughout her illustrious career, Argerich has won many competitions, released a large number of recordings, and performed around the world. Despite her general avoidance of the limelight (when not performing, of course) and aversion to publicity, she has also dedicated much of her career to promoting talented younger players, ensuring her influence will be felt for generations to come.
Other names often mentioned in the same breath as Argeich's include Chinese concert pianist Yuja Wang, whose performances have been packing out the world’s concert halls and accumulating millions of views on social media since the early 2000s; and Lara Downes whose combination of classical piano and social activism has made her a household name in recent years — NPR declared her Classical Woman of the Year in 2022 and she now hosts a popular video show on the network.
There are also a great many women playing piano and helping to shape the present and future of music outside of the classical world. Within pop music, there are almost too many to mention, including some of the biggest stars of today — Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga all play both live and in the studio.
When it comes to pop artists who are particularly known for their piano prowess, however, there are few more important than Tori Amos. Cited by St. Vincent, Perfume Genius, and Taylor Swift herself as a key influence, Amos’s deeply personal lyrics and ornate playing continue to find and inspire new generations of listeners and musicians.
Alicia Keys is another huge name who’s almost as often regarded for her piano playing as her singing. Beginning as a classical pianist, she began writing songs at a young age and signed her first major label deal at 15. Between releasing chart-topping albums and sweeping up a total of 15 awards at GRAMMY ceremonies, she even found time to release a virtual version of her beloved Yamaha grand piano, recorded in her own home studio. “The piano is a mirror to the soul,” she has reportedly said. “It expresses what you are feeling at the moment.”
And what about names to watch for in the future? While we’ll always need pop stars, there have been many interesting shifts in culture over the past twenty years or so, which have seen the mainstream infiltrated by the underground and vice versa. We now have artists like Polish pianist Hania Rani, who combines neo-classical keys with club-inspired electronic experimentation and fills out concert halls around the world with the results.
The internet has also created a shift in the way we discover music, and redefined what it means to be a professional musician — just consider the success of piano influencers like Nahre Sol and Tiffany Poon, who use their platforms to entertain and inspire the next generation of players.
The same developments have also effectively bridged continents, with the influence of South Korean music making waves globally. One South Korean artist we’ve had our eye on lately is Haeun Jung of the R&B band Soul Delivery. When she’s not adding her unique flair to keyboards, synths, and the occasional Keytar solo as a session player for Korean indie rock band JANNABI, Haeun’s free-flowing melodies in Soul Delivery combine funk, jazz, R&B, and soul rhythms in abundance, sparking a New Wave of music inspired by soul and R&B in South Korea.
For a more classical and folk-lead approach, South Korean singer, songwriter, pianist and composer Jeon Jin Hee has garnered popularity not only as a member of the band Ravie Nuage but significantly for her emotive piano compositions as a solo artist. Her albums, such as ‘Breathing’, 'Breathing II', and ‘Without Anyone Knowing’, showcase a masterful blend of ambient music, ballad and classical piano.
The above is a necessarily incomplete history, dipping in and out of genres and decades to cherry-pick some interesting characters, identify themes, and highlight a few personal favorites along the way. There are, of course, many more women out there pushing the boundaries of piano and making themselves heard. So if you don’t see your favorites in our rundown, please go ahead and tag us on social media to let us know who we’re missing out on!
Learn to play
Are you feeling inspired by our picks above? Why not pick up the piano yourself? Our brand-new ROLI Piano ships soon, and is currently available for a discount of $200 / £180 / €200. Or, particularly if you have smaller hands, consider the portable Piano M, whose keys are around 15% narrower than a standard keyboard — making chords and melodic leaps that little bit more comfortable.
