When we think about female musicians, we think of our funky dory pop stars like Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus. Female musicians instead of their talent are mostly judged based on their sexuality and looks. This is a fact because not many people realize or even know that females have been into music since the time music was introduced among humans.
What do you think of when the name “piano” comes into your mind? Of course, a classical instrument that has been around for centuries and has completely changed the course of music! And also, not to forget, popular names like Beethoven and Mozart have completely changed the course of music.
From this, we can deduce that whether it is old music or instruments, females have not been able to enjoy and share the limelight as much as their male counterparts have been able to. It is not common for people to mention a professional female pianist.
With 2021 approaching, we need to give the female musicians credit when it’s genuinely due. This article is dedicated to all the women who have been able to earn themselves a name in the gender-biased world of pianos.
Yuja Wang
Born in 1987, Yuja Wang is a classical pianist from China who began her journey of learning the instrument from a very young age of 6. She was one of the top students of Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia where she studied under her mentor Gary Graffman.
Her professional journey did not begin until 2007 at the age of 20 when she replaced the famous Martha Argerich as Miss Argerich was physically exhausted to perform with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Presently, she is known to play extremely complex notes at a very fast pace. This capability has earned her the nickname “flying fingers”. This led to her fame and nowadays, the name Yuja Wang is known to every person who is taking live and online piano music lessons.
Martha Argerich
She might be replaced by Yuja Wang in one concert but, her capabilities and achievements in playing the piano have been mesmerizing to people who enjoy and appreciate good music. One of the best and most well-known pianists of all time, Martha Argerich was born in 1941.
She started playing the piano at the tender age of 8 and ever since then, she has been completely unstoppable. She worked and gained more experience as a pianist in Europe when she worked under the professional mentorship of Gurda and Michelangeli.
She has bagged many achievements throughout her career like:
- Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition
- Geneva International Music Competition
- Chopin Piano Competition Warsaw
- Three Grammys
- Japan Art Association Praemium Imperiale
- Order of the Rising Sun
Even now at the age of 79, Martha is still known to dazzle the audience with her amazing skills. Her concerts are always sold out and she is working on directing a music festival.
Maria João Pires
Born to a Portuguese-Swiss family in 1944, Maria has been solely responsible all by herself for making a mark in the industry. She understood the workings of a piano at a tender age. This explains why she was able to give a recital easily at the age of five.
When she was seven, she successfully played Mozart’s piano concertos in public and ever since then; her career has thrived for years to come. She was awarded the best award for young musicians at the age of 9. She pursued her education at Lisbon Conservatory and then moved to Germany for a career in music.
She has performed with some of the major orchestras in:
- America
- Japan
- Israel
- Canada
- Europe
After a thriving career filled with joy and success, Miss. Pires has decided to retire from public concerts and spend her days in peace. However, one of her amazing performances in Amsterdam is available on YouTube for enthusiasts.
Khatia Buniatishvili
You will forget her complex name once you see how complex and professional her skills behind the piano are. A perfect combination of French and Georgian, she is one of the most successful and accomplished artists of the day. Born in 1987 in Georgia, she started playing the keyboard at the age of 3.
Her first professional concert was at the young age of 6 when she dazzled the audience and captured the hearts of many fans and the eyes of many contractors. By the age of 10, Khatia was performing internationally.
After 2010, people started to take her and her accomplishments seriously. Don’t be surprised when your virtual music lesson teachers tell you that Khatia Buniatishvili is the female role model you all need to look up to. Her performances are available on YouTube. Enjoy a virtual concert for free if you are unable to attend her live performances.
She is also known to music lovers for her accomplishments as an activist who is actively working to introduce classical music back to the audience today.
Inspired To Learn More Music?
If you are motivated to get behind that piano once again, this is your time now. During the lockdown, when everyone is free, you can opt for virtual music lessonsfrom the comfort of your own home. There are many platforms that allow you to join classes from home.
All you need to do is to sign up, pay some fees (which are quite reasonable as compared to live lessons) and start a one on one or group session with your teachers.
Just make sure that you have the right kind of piano. Instead of opting for the more modern, eclectic keyboards and battery run mini pianos, it is preferred that you opt for something more classy and original. Investments like this go a long way and you can certainly see the difference.
New To the World of Music?
Well, it does not matter as long as you are a young lady determined to make her way through and learn the piano. Many teachers hold classes for people of all skill levels and you can easily get plenty of free information from Google – the father of knowledge. Just understand your skill level, learning capability, and sign up.
Your online teacher will not be there to simply teach you. They will assess and evaluate your progress over time and help you get better. Call them your personal online coach as they will put in equal effort to help you succeed and get better.
Make Your Own Music
Have you learned enough from your teachers? If yes, you can actually start working on your composition skills and try to compose some nice tones of your liking. Bring in your creativity with the skills that you have learned in your online piano music lessons.
You need to know how to implement advanced music techniques along with chord progressions and create something the represents your taste as a musician.
Conclusion
Music has been around for quite a while now. If you love music, then you must be aware of the piano. There are a lot of female pianists who have earned fame and name with their efforts and talents. Make sure that you learn the music and take online classes and get a bit more creative by composing your music.
