Symphonies by Women

Last Updated: February 9, 2024

How many women have achieved the compositional milestone of writing a symphony for full orchestra?  The answer is, quite a few!  What follows is what I believe to be a comprehensive list of all symphonies written by women.  If you know of others—or if you find anything here that needs correcting or adding to—please post a comment.  So many of these works have been unjustly neglected.  The day will come (hopefully soon) when any short list of the greatest composers will include women.

When I originally started this list back in 2017, I had in mind only including works explicitly with titles such as Symphony No. 1, Symphony No. 2, and so on. But I’ve since learned that what constitutes a “symphony” defies any rigid definition, particularly when considering 20th- and 21st-century works. So, I’ve capitulated to include anything named “symphony” or “sinfonia” by the composer. Still, if you find any works here that really shouldn’t be included here as symphonies, please post a comment and I will consider removing them.

Looking towards the future, one composer to watch will certainly be Alma Deutscher.  Her first of what will hopefully be many symphonies is eagerly anticipated.

I’ve created a forum where you can post and listen to any available performances or recordings of works listed here (and in general) that are not yet (or currently) commercially available.  I hope you will consider participating, and please do tell others about it. Composers are welcome to post their own work, too!

Classical Music Little-Known Favorites

Els Aarne (1917-1995)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2

Rosalina Abejo (1922-1991)
Gregoria Symphony (1950)
Pioneer Symphony (1954)
Thanatopsis Symphony (1956)
The Trilogy of Man Symphony (1971)
Guerilla Symphony (1972)
Dalawang Pusong Dakila [Two Great Hearts] Symphony (1975)
Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Bayan, a choral symphony (1979)
Symphony No. 3, “Hold High the Torch” (1981)
Jubilee Symphony (1984)
Brotherhood Symphony (1986)
Symphony of Psalms (1988)
Symphony of Life (1988)
Symphony of Fortitude and Sudden Spring (1989)
Beatriz Symphony
Marian Symphony

Lejla Agolli (1950-)
Symphony in C♯ minor (1973)

Maria Theresia Ahlefeldt (1755-1810)
Symphony in F major

Eleanor Alberga (1949-)
Symphony No. 1, “Strata” (2022)

Liana Alexandra (1947-2011)
Symphony No. 1, op. 1 (1971)
Symphony No. 2, op. 16, “Hymns” (1978)
Symphony No. 3, op. 24, “Diachronies-Harmonies” (1981)
Symphony No. 4, op. 28, “Contemporary Rhythms” (1984)
Symphony No. 5 (1986)
Symphony No. 6 (1989)
Symphony No. 7 (1996)
Symphony No. 8, “Variations” (2003)
Symphony No. 9, “Jerusalem” (2003)

Franghiz Ali-Zadeh (1947-)
Symphony (1976)

Julia Alonso (1889-1977)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2

Olga Alyushina (1975-)
Symphony

Maria Charlotte Amalie (1751-1827) [Duchess of Saxe-Gotha]
Symphony [for orchestra of 10 instruments]

Karen Amrhein (1970-)
Symphony of Seasons

Elfrida Andrée (1841-1929)
Symphony No. 1 in C major (1869)
Symphony No. 2 in A minor (1893)
Symphony in one movement, F minor
Organ Symphony No. 1 in B minor (1892)
Organ Symphony No. 2 in E♭ major for organ and brass (~1892)

Minni Kim-Huai Ang (1966-)
Symphony

Dina Appeldoorn (1884-1938)
Symphony No. 1, “May Symphony” (1915, rev. 1916 & 1925)
Symphony No. 2, “Wie in lauter Helligkeit” (1916)
North Sea Symphony (1924)

Adelaide Orsola Appignani (1807-1884)
Sinfonia (1834)

Kimberly Archer (1973-)
Symphony No. 1, “For Those Taken Too Soon” (for concert band) (2001)
Symphony No. 2 (for concert band) (2003)
Symphony No. 3 (for concert band) (2008)

Violet Archer (1913-2000)
Symphony (1946)
Sinfonia (1969)

Reiko Arima (1933-)
Symphony No. 1, “Okinawa”

Claude Arrieu [Louise-Marie Simon] (1903-1990)
Symphony in C major (1940)

Francine Aubin (1938-2016)
Symphony No. 1, “Allégorique”
Symphony No. 2, “de l’Espoir”
Symphony No. 3, “Kiev” (1991)
Symphony No. 4, “Juive” (2010) – orchestration of the work of Lionel Stoléru

Lera Auerbach (1973-)
Symphony No. 1, “Chimera” (2006)
Symphony No. 2, “Requiem for a Poet” (2006)
Symphony No. 3, “The Infant Minstrel and His Peculiar Menagerie” (2016)
Symphony No. 4, “Arctica” (2019)
Symphony No. 5, “Paradise Lost” (2022)
Symphony No. 6, “Vessels of Light” (2022)
String Symphony No. 1, “Memoria de la Luz” (2013)
String Symphony No. 2, “Night: Darkness of Light” (2024)

Elizabeth Austin (1938-)
Symphony No. 1, “Wilderness Symphony” (1987)
Symphony No. 2, “Lighthouse” (1993)

Ana-Maria Avram (1961-2017)
Symphony

Pikə Axundova (1984-)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2

Svitlana Azarova (1976-)
Symphony No. 1 (1999)
Symphony No. 2, “Lana Sweet” (2003)
Symphony “Hundred Thirty One Angstrom” (2014)

Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Symphony No. 1 (1945)
Symphony No. 2 (1951)
Symphony No. 3 (1952)
Symphony No. 4 (1953)
Symphony (1933, lost)
Symphony (1938, lost)
Symphony for string orchestra (1946)

Maya Badian (1945-)
Holocaust—In Memoriam, Symphony (1987, 1998)

Judith Bailey (1941-)
Symphony No. 1, op. 21 (1981)
Symphony No. 2, op. 24 (1982)
Cliff Walk Symphony, op. 82 (2007)

Teresa Bancer (1935-2018)
Symphony

Mansi Barberis (1899-1986)
Symphony No. 1 (1941)

Laura Wilson Barker (1819-1905)
Symphony (1845)

Elsa Barraine (1910-1999)
Symphony No. 1 (1931)
Symphony No. 2 (1938)
Symphony No. 3 (1947)

Rasa Bartkevičiūtė (1967-)
Symphony No. 1, “In perpetuum” (1993)
Symphony No. 2, “Fantasy” (1995)
Symphony No. 3, “El Dorado” (1997)
Symphony No. 4, “Rhapsody” (2001)

Marion Bauer (1882-1955)
Symphony No. 1, op. 45 (1947-50)

Amy Beach (1867-1944)
Symphony in E minor, op. 32,”Gaelic” (1894-6)

Sally Beamish (1956-)
Symphony No. 1 (1992)
Symphony No. 2 (1998)

Marguerite Béclard d’Harcourt (1884-1964)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2, “The Seasons” (1951)

Anđelka Bego-Šimunić (1941-2022)
Symphony No. 1 (1966)

Elizabeth Bell (1928-2016)
Symphony No. 1 (1971; 1988)

Ivane Bellocq (1958-)
Symphonie déconcertante (1997)

Marie Barker Nelson Bennett (1926-2018)
Symphony No. 1, “The Medead” (1977)
Symphony No. 2, “Hodeeyaada” (1994)
Symphony No. 3, “Symphony of the Millenium” (2000)
Symphony No. 4, “Universe” (1998)

Louise Bertin (1805-1877)
5 chamber symphonies, unpublished

Diane Bish (1941-)
A Symphony of Hymns (1983)
A Symphony of Psalms, for organ, choir, orchestra and soloist (1989)

Sylvie Bodorová (1954-)
Symphony No 1, “Con le campane” (2011)

Natasha Bogojevich (1966-)
Symphony No. 1 (1991)

Mélanie Bonis (1858-1937)
Burlesque Symphony, op. 185 posth., for percussion, wind instruments, and piano

Henriette van den Boorn-Coclet (1866-1945)
Symphony in F major (1904)
Symphony Wallone in D major (1923)

Johanna Bordewijk-Roepman (1892-1971)
Symphony No. 1 (1942)

Victoria Borisova-Ollas (1969-)
Symphony No. 1, “The Triumph of Heaven” (2001)
Symphony No. 2, “Labyrinths of Time” (2017)

Marianna Bottini (1802-1858)
Symphony for orchestra (1818)
Symphony for wind band (1819)

Ina Boyle (1889-1967)
Symphony No. 1, “Glencree” (1927)
Symphony No. 2, “The Dream of the Rood” (1930)
Symphony No. 3, “From the Darkness” (1951)

Margaret Brandman (1951-)
Firestorm Symphony (2009)

Ilona Breģe (1959-)
Symphony No. 1 (2004)
Symphony No. 2 (2006)
Symphony No. 3 (2010)

Radie Britain (1899-1994)
Southern Symphony (1935)
Cosmic Mist Symphony (1962)

Margaret Brouwer (1940-)
Symphony No. 1, “Lake Voices” (1997)

Tamar-kali Brown (1973?-)
Sea Island Symphony (2023)

Elisabetta Brusa (1954-)
Nittemero Symphony (1988)
Symphony No. 1, op. 10 (1990)
Symphony No. 2, op. 22 (2015)
Symphony No. 3, op. 27 (2022)

Joanna Bruzdowicz (1943-2021)
Symphony No. 1 (1975)
Symphony No. 2 “Concertino for Orchestra” (2007)

Nini Bulterijs (1929-1989)
Symphony (1965)

Diana Burrell (1948-)
Symphonies of Flocks, Herds and Shoals (1996)

Santa Bušs (1981-)
Liminarité, chamber symphony (2014)

Anne Lois Butler (1912-2006)
Symphony of the Hills

Sofía Cancino de Cuevas (1897-1982)
Symphony No. 1 (1935)
Symphony No. 2 in G major

Matilde Capuis (1913-2017)
Symphony in G minor

Ann Carr-Boyd (1938-)
Symphony in three movements (1964)

Wendy Mae Chambers (1953-)
Symphony of the Universe (1989)

Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944)
Les Amazones, symphonie dramatique, op. 26 (1884)

Elizabeth Charles (?-?)
Little Symphony (1941)
[student composition, Institute of American Music of the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York; active 1938-1942]

Chen Yi (1953-)
Symphony No. 1 (1986)
Symphony No. 2 (1993)
Symphony No. 3 (2002)
Symphony No. 4, “Humen 1839” (2009)

Geghuni Chitchyan (1929-)
Chamber Symphony, “In Memoriam Aram Khachaturian” (1988)

Françoise Choveaux (1953-)
Symphony Indigo, op. 2 (1993)
Symphony Blanche, op. 100 (2001)

Tatyana Chudova (1944-2021)
Symphony No. 1 in A♭, “Timur and his Team” (1982)
Symphony No. 2, “How the Steel was Tempered” (1983)
Symphony No. 3, “The Young Guard” (1984)
Symphony No. 4 (1988)

Iulia Cibișescu-Duran (1966-)
Symphony No. 1 (1990)
Symphony No. 2 (2017)

Maia Ciobanu (1952-)
Symphony No. 1, “Journal ’88” (1988)
Symphony No. 2, “…from Enescu” (2006)

Adrienne Clostre (1921-2006)
Symphony for Strings (1949; 1962)

Gloria Coates (1933-2023)
Symphony No. 1, “Music on Open Strings” (1973)
Symphony No. 2, “Illuminatio in Tenebris” (1974; 1989)
Symphony No. 3, “Symphony for Strings/Symphony Nocturne” (1978)
Symphony No. 3 (Version 2), “Holographic Universe”, with violin solo (2006)
Symphony No. 4, “Chiaroscuro” (1984; 1990)
Symphony No. 5, “Drei mystische Gesänge” (1985)
Symphony No. 6, “Music in Microtones” (1987; 1994)
Symphony No. 7 (1990)
Symphony No. 8, “Indian Sounds” (1991)
Symphony No. 9, “Homage to Van Gogh” (1994)
Symphony No. 10, “Drones of Druids on Celtic Ruins” (1994)
Symphony No. 11, “Philomen and Baucis” (1998)
Symphony No. 12 (1998)
Symphony No. 13 (2000)
Symphony No. 14, “The Americans” (2002)
Symphony No. 15, “Homage to Mozart” (2005)
Symphony No. 16, “Time Frozen” (1993)
Symphony No. 17, “Fonte di Rimini” (2017)

Jane Antonia Cornish (1975-)
Symphony No. 1 (2008)

Jean Coulthard (1908-2000)
Symphony No. 1 (1953)
Symphony No. 2, “Choral Symphony, This Land” (1967)
Symphony No. 3, “Lyric” (1975)
Symphony No. 4, “Autumn”, for string orchestra (1984)

Vicki Lynn Curry (1949?-)
Symphony in two movements (1988)

Nancy Dalberg (1881-1949)
Symphony in C♯ minor (1917) [3 movements; later withdrew 1st movement and To orkesterstykker, op. 9 (1918) remained]

Jean Reynolds Davis (1927-2015)
Symphony No. 1, in one movement
Symphony No. 2

Yvonne Desportes (1907-1993)
Symphony No. 1, “Saint-Gindolph” (1958)
Symphony No. 2, “Monorythmie” (1964)
Symphony No. 3, “L’Éternel féminin” (1969)

Arline Diamond (1928-1985)
Symphony

Mary Dickenson-Auner (1880-1965)
Symphony No. 1, “Irish Symphony”, op. 16 (1941)
Symphony No. 2 (1948) [withdrawn]
Symphony No. 3, op. 41 (1953)
Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 5, “American”, op. 45 (1957)
Symphony for String Orchestra, op. 33 (1950)

Emma Lou Diemer (1927-)
Symphony No. 1 (1953)
Symphony No. 2 (1955, 1959) [on Amerindian themes]
Symphony No. 3, “Antique” (1961)

Johanna Doderer (1969-)
Symphony No. 1 (2007)
Symphony No. 2,”Bohinj” (2015)

Narcisa Donátová (1928-1981)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2

Sanja Drakulić (1963-)
Symphony 1991

Marjorie Eastwood Dudley (1891-1961)
Symphony in E♭ major, op. 12 (1938)

Lesia Dychko (1939-)
“Greeting for Life”, symphony for soprano, bass and chamber orchestra (1972)
“Wind of Revolution”, symphony (1976)
“You Begin from Your Eyes”, symphony-cantata (1994)

Sophie Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté (1899-1974)
Symphony No. 1 in C major, E. 104 (1940)
Symphony No. 2, “Manitoba” (1970)

Ludmilla Efimtsova (1948-)
Symphony No. 1 (1980s)

Maija Einfelde (1939-)
Choral Symphony (2000)
Symphony (2003)

Irina Elcheva (1926-2013)
Symphony, “In memory of those killed in the siege of Leningrad” (1965)

Olga Pozzi Escot (1933-)
Symphony No. 1, for strings (1953) [withdrawn]
Symphony No. 2 (1955) [withdrawn]
Symphony No. 3 (1957) [withdrawn]
Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 5, “Sands” (1965)
Symphony No. 6

Elisenda Fábregas (1955-)
Symphony No. 1 for Symphonic Band (2013)

Amanda Lee Falkenberg (1976-)
The Moons Symphony (2019)

Eibhlis Farrell (1953-)
Sinfonia (1990)

Louise Farrenc (1804-1875)
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, op. 32 (1842)
Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 35 (1845)
Symphony No. 3 in G minor, op. 36 (1847)

Lorraine Noel Finley (1899-1972)
Symphony in D (1963)

Anfisa Fiodorova (1953-2000)
Symphony

Elena Firsova (1950-)
Sinfonia da camera (1972)

Elena Fiştic (1963-)
Symphony No. 1, “Haiducească” (1986)
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3 (2006)

Tsippi Fleischer (1946-)
Symphony No. 1, “Salt Crystals”, op. 33 (1995)
Symphony No. 2, “The Train”, op. 48 (1999)
Symphony No. 3, “Regarding Beauty”, op. 49 (1999)
Symphony No. 4, “A Passing Shadow”, op. 51 (2000)
Symphony No. 5, “Israeli-Jewish Collage”, op. 54 (2003)
Symphony No. 6, “The Eyes, Mirror of the Soul”, op. 73 (2011)
Symphony No. 7, “Choral Symphony”, op. 77 (2015)

Bohdana Frolyak (1968-)
Symphony No. 1, “Orbis Terrarum” (1998)
Symphony No. 2 (2009)

Ilse Fromm-Michaels (1888-1986)
Symphony in C minor, op. 19 (1938)

Linda Frumker (1940-)
Symphony (1964)

Rina Furano (1989-)
Symphony No. 1 in F major (2014)
Symphony No. 2 in C major (2016)

Varvara Adrianovna Gaigerova (1903-1944)
Symphony No. 1 (1928)
Symphony No. 2 on Kalmuk Themes (1934)
Symphony No. 3 (1936)

Nancy Galbraith (1951-)
Wind Symphony No. 1 (1996)

Rachel Galinne (1949-)
Symphony No. 1 (1996)
Symphony No. 2 (1998)
Chamber Symphony (2005)

Stacy Garrop (1969-)
Mythology Symphony (2013)

Miriam Gideon (1906-1996)
Symphonia Brevis (1953)

Ruth Gipps (1921-1999)
Symphony No. 1 in F minor, op. 22 (1942)
Symphony No. 2 in B major (in one movement), op. 30 (1945)
Symphony No. 3, op. 57 (1965)
Symphony No. 4, op. 61 (1972)
Symphony No. 5, op. 64 (1982)

Julie Giroux (1961-)
Symphony No. 1, “Culloden” (2000)
Symphony No. 2, “A Symphony of Fables” (2006)
Symphony No. 3, “No Finer Calling” (2006)
Symphony No. 4, “Bookmarks from Japan” (2013)
Symphony No. 5, “Elements” (2018)
Symphony No. 6, “The Blue Marble” (2022)
Space Symphony (1986; 1991)

Janice Giteck (1946-)
Potlatch Symphony (2013)

Peggy Glanville-Hicks (1912-1990)
Sinfonia da Pacifica (1953)

Julia Gomelskaya (1964-2016)
Symphony No. 1, “SymPhobia” (2004)
Symphony No. 2, “Ukraine Forever” (2010)
Symphony No. 3, “Magnet” (2014)
Symphony No. 4, “Ra-Aeternae” (2016)

Ida Gotkovsky (1933-)
Symphony for Strings and Percussion (1957)
Symphony for Eighty Wind Instruments (1960)
Spring Symphony (1973)
Symphony for Organ and Wind Orchestra (1982)
Brillante Symphony for Wind Orchestra (1989)
Golden Symphony (1991) [15 saxophones]
Youth Symphony (1993)
Joyeuse Symphony for Wind Orchestra (2000)

Clémence de Grandval (1828-1907)
Symphony No. 1, “Le Matin”
Symphony No. 2, “Le Soir”
Symphony No. 3, “Amazones”
Callirhoé, ballet-symphony

Edith Greene (?-?) [England]
Symphony (1895)

Marina Gribinčika (1966-)
Symphony (1992)

Annie Grimson [later Wallis] (1870-1949)
Symphony (1887)— lost?

Sofia Gubaidulina (1931-)
Symphony (1958)
Stimmen… Verstummen…, a symphony in twelve movements (1986)

Louise Haenel de Cronenthall (1839-1896)
Symphony No. 1, op. 10 “La cinquantaine villageoise”
Symphony No. 2, op. 40 “Salut au printemps” (1860)
Symphony No. 3, op. 22? “La fantastique”
Symphony No. 4, “Apollonia”
Symphony No. 5, “Bonheur pastoral”

Margareta Hallin (1931-2020)
Sinfonia piccola, for chamber orchestra (2002)

Barbara Harbach (1946-)
Symphony No. 1, “Veneration for Orchestra” (2004)
Symphony No. 2, “One of Ours – A Cather Symphony” (2004)
Symphony No. 3, “A State Divided – a Missouri Symphony” (2012)
Symphony No. 4, “Jubilee Symphony” (2013)
Symphony No. 5, “Gateway Festival Symphony” (2013)
Symphony No. 6, “Night Soundings” (2013)
Symphony No. 7, “O Pioneers!” (2014)
Symphony No. 8, “The Scarlet Letter” (2014)
Symphony No. 9, “Celestial Symphony” (2014)
Symphony No. 10, “Symphony for Ferguson” (2015)
Symphony No. 11, “Retourner” (2017)

Rahilia Hasanova (1951-)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3

Irina Hasnaș (1954-)
Symphony No. 1

Hanna Havrylets (1958-2022)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2, “In memoriam”, chamber symphony

Bernice Hensler (?-?)
Symphony in three movements (1945)
[student composition, Institute of American Music of the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York; active 1940-1946]

Mirrie Hill (1889-1986)
Symphony in A, “Arnhem Land” (1954)

Dulcie Holland (1913-2000)
Symphony for pleasure (1971)

Elizabeth Holloway (?-?)
Symphony No. 1 (1954)
[listed in The American Symphony by Neil Butterworth]

Betzy Holmberg (1860-1900)
Symphony No. 1 (1884)

Augusta Holmès (1847-1903)
Symphony No. 1, “Orlando furioso”
Symphony No. 2, “Lutèce”
Symphony No. 3, “Les Argonautes”

Adelaide Hooker [Marquand] (1903-1963)
Symphony in E (1930)

Katherine Hoover (1937-2018)
Sinfonia, op. 10 (1976)

Aline Hundt (1849-1872)
Symphony in G minor

Aida Isakova (1940-2012)
Symphony with Timpani for String Orchestra

Šušano Ishakbajeva (1957-)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3

Jean Eichelberger Ivey (1923-2010)
Little Symphony
Festive Symphony
Symphony “Forms and Motion”
Short Symphony

Wang Jie (1980-)
Symphony No. 1 (2008)
Symphony No. 2 (2014)

Marta Jiráčková (1932-)
Symphony No. 1, “Nanda Devi”
Symphony No. 2, “Silbo”

Betsy Jolas (1926-)
Symphony for small orchestra

Milijana Jović (1950-)
Symphony for String Orchestra

Dalia Kairaitytė (1953-)
Symphony

Kikuko Kanai (1911-1986)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2

Leokadiya Kashperova (1872-1940)
Symphony in B minor, op. 4 (1905)

Elena Kats-Chernin (1957-)
Garden Symphony (2002)
River Symphony (2003)
Symphonia Eluvium (2011)

Minna Keal (1909-1999)
Symphony, op. 3 (1987)

Frida Kern (1891-1988)
Symphony No. 1, op. 46 (1943)

Merzie Khalitova (1956-)
Symphony No. 1, “Revival”
Symphony No. 2, for chamber orchestra
Symphony No. 3, “Dedication”
Symphony No. 4, for flute and string orchestra
Symphony No. 5, “Ametkhan”
Symphony No. 6, “Yashlyk sedasy”

Rusudan Khorava (1954)
Chamber Symphony for string orchestra
Romantic Symphony for mezzo-soprano and orchestra

Makiko Kinoshita (1956-)
Sinfonia for brass

Antoinette Kirkwood (1930-2014)
Symphony No. 1, op. 8 (1953)

Zhivka Klinkova (1924-2002)
Symphony No. 1 (1963)
Symphony No. 2 (1974)
Football Symphony (1996)
Symphony “Hymn of Unified Europe” (1999)
Symphony in 7/8 Beat (2000)

Antonie Knoblochova (1905-?)
Symphony

Liudmila Knyazeva (1947-)
Symphony No. 1, “The Ascent”

Eloise Koelling (1908-1999)
Symphony in D minor (1956)

Luna Koen-Puđa (1919-2003)
Symphony (1966)

Celina Kohan de Scher (1931-2015)
Symphony No. 1 (1955)
Symphony No. 2 (1983)

Jitka Koželuhová (1966-)
Symphony (2008)

Ekaterina Kozhevnikova (1954-)
Symphony No. 1 (1977)
Symphony No. 2, “Sinfonia da Requiem” (1979)
Symphony No. 3 (2003; 2018)
Symphony No. 4, “Eros”

Agneta Krilova (1980-)
Symphony No. 1, “Polar Symphony”
Symphony No. 2 for Chamber Orchestra, “To the New World”

Grażyna Krzanowska (1952-)
Symphony with a Beat on the Timpani
A Little Choral Symphony

Mayako Kubo (1947-)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2, “Reopening”

Hanna Kulenty (1961-)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2 for orchestra and mixed choir
Symphony No. 3

Renata Kunkel (1954-)
Symphony

Ann Kuppens (1964-)
Sinfonia Bellicosa

Iryna Kyrylina (1953-2017)
Chamber Symphony, “Collapse”
Symphony

Eleni Lambiri (1889-1960)
Symphony in B minor

Libby Larsen (1950-)
Symphony No. 1, “Water Music”
Symphony No. 2, “Coming Forth Into Day”
Symphony No. 3, “Lyric”
Symphony No. 4, “String Symphony”
Symphony No.5, “Solo Symphony”
Symphony No. 6, “Forward”
Short Symphony, for Concert Band

Beatrice Laufer (1923-1996)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2

Luise Adolpha Le Beau (1850-1927)
Symphony in F major, op. 41 (~1894)

Mary Weldon Leahy (1926-?)
Symphony in one movement
Symphony for strings

Linda Leimane (1989-)
Chamber Symphony, “Guesstimations”

Helvi Leiviskä (1902-1982)
Symphony [unnumbered] (1923)
Symphony No. 1 in B♭ major, op. 23 (1947)
Symphony No. 2 in D minor, op. 27 (1954)
Symphony No. 3, op. 31 (1964/1971)
Sinfonia brevis, op. 30 (1962/1972)

Sabra Lindgren (1947-)
Symphony No. 1 in D major (1998)
Symphony No. 2 in C minor (2008)
Symphony No. 3, “The Big Sky Symphony” (2009)
Symphony No. 4, for strings, percussion, and keyboard (2012)
Symphony No. 5 in F (2013)
Symphony No. 6 (2015)
Symphony No. 7 (2016)
Symphony No. 8, “A Western Symphony” (2016)
Symphony No. 9 (2016)
Symphony No. 10 (2018)
Symphony No. 11 (2019)
Symphony No. 12 (2019)
Symphony No. 13 (2020)
Symphony No. 14 (2020)
Symphony No. 15 (2022)
String Symphony No. 1 in A minor (2010)
String Symphony No. 2 (2015)
String Symphony No. 3 (2016)
String Symphony No. 4 (2019)
String Symphony No. 5 (2022)

Ivana Loudová (1941-2017)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2 for alto solo, choir and large orchestra
Sinfonia Numerica for Chamber Orchestra

Phyllis Luckman (1927-)
Symphony for Massed Cellos

Enid Luff (1935-)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2

Elisabeth Lutyens (1906-1983)
Symphonies, for solo piano, wind, harps and percussion

Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994)
Symphony No. 1 [withdrawn]
Symphony No. 2 [withdrawn]
Symphony for Double String Orchestra (1953)
Little Symphony

Ester Mägi (1922-2021)
Symphony (1968)

Nina Makarova (1908-1976)
Symphony in D minor

Ursula Mamlok (1923-2016)
Symphony No. 1 in E♭ (1956) [withdrawn]

Irina Manoukian (1948-2004)
Symphony No. 1 for string and percussion instruments
Symphony No. 2, “Ecce Homo”
Symphony No. 3, “Thirty-two variations on descending bass”

Myriam Marbe (1931-1997)
Symphony No. 1, “Ur Ariadne” for mezzo-soprano, saxophone, and orchestra
Sym-phonia for mezzo-soprano and chamber ensemble

Adabelle Gross Marcus (1929-1997)
Symphony to the Spheres

Tera de Marez Oyens (1932-1996)
Sinfonía testimonial: for choir, orchestra and tape
Squaw sachem symphony

Stephanie Martin (1962-)
Babel: a choral symphony

Maryna Marozava (1958-)
Symphony No. 1, “Black Tale”
Symphony No. 2, “At the Fair”
Symphony No. 3

Marianna Martines (1744-1812) [aka Marianne Martinez]
Symphony in C major

Paule Maurice (1910-1967)
Symphony

Emilie Mayer (1812-1883)
Symphony No. 1 in C minor (1847)
Symphony No. 2 in E minor (1847)
Symphony No. 3 in C major, “Military” (1850)
Symphony No. 4 in B minor (1851)
Symphony No. 5 in F minor (1852)
Symphony No. 6 in E major (1853)
Symphony No. 7 in F minor (1856)
Symphony No. 8 in F major (1857)

Missy Mazzoli (1980-)
Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) (2014; 2016)

Jenny McLeod (1941-)
Little Symphony

Cindy McTee (1953-)
Symphony No. 1: Ballet for Orchestra

Margaret Shelton Meier (1936-)
Claremont Symphony

Margarita Leonor Dietel Merriman (1927-)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2

Jelena Milenković-Živković (1944-)
Symphony

Zarrina Mirshakar (1947-)
Symphony No. 1 for strings

Darleen Cowles Mitchell (1942-)
Chamber Symphony [1965]

Ida Moberg (1859-1947)
Symphony in D minor (1905) [lost?]

Akiana Molina (1963-)
Sinfonía Herediana

Dorothy Rudd Moore (1940-)
Symphony No. 1

Valarie Morris (1949-)
Symphony of light and shadows

Johanna Müller-Hermann (1878-1941)
Symphony in D minor, with soloists and chorus

Florentine Mulsant (1962-)
Symphony No. 1, for strings
Symphony No. 2, “Exile”

Gráinne Mulvey (1966-)
Symphony No. 1

Thea Musgrave (1928-)
Sinfonia

Onutė Narbutaitė (1956-)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3, “Tres Dei Matris Symphoniae”, for chorus and orchestra
Symphony No. 4, “riverbank – river – symphony”
Sinfonia col triangolo, for chamber orchestra

Polina Nazaykinskaya (1987-)
Symphony No. 1, “April Song”

Dika Newlin (1923-2006)
Symphony for chorus and orchestra
Chamber Symphony for 12 instruments

Tatyana Nikolayeva (1924-1993)
Symphony

Katharine Norman (1960-)
Symphony

Anne-Marie Ørbeck (1911-1996)
Symphony in D major

Eurydice Osterman (1950-)
Symphony No. 1, “Heritage Symphony”

Vivian Blythe Owen (1898-2000)
Symphony, op. 13 (1947)

Catharina Palmér (1963-)
Symphony No. 1, “Nuances” for mixed choir and orchestra

Natalia Raigorodsky Parris (1929-2018)
Symphony No. 1

Annelies van Parys (1975-)
Symphony No. 1, “Carillon” (2006)
Symphony No. 2, “Les Ponts” (2008)

Alla Pavlova (1952-)
Symphony No. 1 “Farewell, Russia” for chamber orchestra (1994)
Symphony No. 2 “For the New Millennium” (1998)
Symphony No. 3 (2000)
Symphony No. 4 (2002)
Symphony No. 5 (2006)
Symphony No. 6 (2008)
Symphony No. 7 (2011)
Symphony No. 8 (2011)
Symphony No. 9, “Violin Concerto” (2016)
Symphony No. 10, “Path to Golden Gate” (2017)
Symphony No. 11 (2021)

Dora Pejačević (1885-1923)
Symphony in F♯ minor

Barbara Pentland (1912-2000)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3, “Symphony for Ten Parts”
Symphony No. 4

Julia Perry (1924-1979)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 5, “Integration”
Symphony No. 6
Symphony No. 7, “U.S.A.”
Symphony No. 8
Symphony No. 9
Symphony No. 10, “Soul”
Symphony No. 11
Symphony No. 12, “Simple Symphony”
Symphony No. 13

Märta Peterson-Serafinowitsch (1912-)
Symphony No. 1

Carmen Petra-Basacopol (1926-)
Symphony

Elena Petrová (1929-2002)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3

Alexandra Pierce (1934-2021)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2, “Dances on the Face of the Deep”

Zhanna Pliyeva (1948-2023)
Symphony No. 1 (1976)
Symphony No. 2 (1976)
Symphony No. 3 (1978)
Symphony No. 4 (1991)
Symphony No. 5 (1994)
Symphony No. 6
Symphony No. 7

Victoria Polevá (1962-)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2, “Offertory to Anton Bruckner”
Symphony No. 3, “White interment”

Claire Polin (1926-1995)
Symphony No. 1 in two movements
Symphony No. 2

Oliveria Prescott (1842-1919)
Symphony No.1 in B♭ “Alkestis” (1876)
Symphony No.2 in D minor

Florence Price (1887-1953)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 4

Dorothy Priesing (1910-1999)
Symphony (in one movement)

María Teresa Prieto (1896-1982)
Symphony No. 1, “Asturiana” (1942)
Symphony No. 2, “Sinfonía breve” (1945)
Symphony No. 3, “Sinfonía de la danza prima” (1951)

Tatiana Probst (1987-)
Symphony No. 1, “Exorde”

Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil (1947-)
Ocean Symphony

Marta Ptaszyńska (1943-)
Sinfonia Wratislavia

Ivy Priaulx Rainier (1903-1986)
Sinfonia da camera, for strings

Shulamit Ran (1949-)
Symphony

Santa Ratniece (1977-)
Chamber symphony, “Shant Nadi”

Weronika Ratusińska-Zamuszko (1977-)
Symphony (2008)

Elizabeth Raum (1945-)
Symphony of Youth

Sally Johnston Reid (1948-2019)
Wasatch Symphony, for wind band

Daiva Rokaitė-Dženkaitienė (1972-2010)
Little Symphony
Sky Stone Symphony

Doina Rotaru (1951-)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3, “Spirit of Elements”

Dilorom Saidaminova (1943-)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2

Alessandra Salvati (1968-)
Sinfonia

Rhian Samuel (1944-)
Elegy-Symphony

Virginia Samuel (1957-)
Symphony (1988)

Amada Santos-Ocampo (1925-2009)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2

Elena Šataitė (1992-)
Eremos (Little Symphony)

Eglė Sausanavičiūtė (1963-)
Symphony
Somnium Simfonie
Space Symphony

Heather Schmidt (1974-)
Symphony No. 1, “Manufactured Landscapes”

Sara Opal Search (1890-1961)
Symphony No. 1 in C minor for strings (1940)
Symphony No. 2 in C minor (1941)

Susie Self (1957-)
Symphony No. 1, “Hokusai Says”
Symphony No. 2, “Memories, Dreams, Reflections”
Symphony No. 3, “The Pacific”
Symphony No. 4, “The Island”

Johanna Senfter (1879-1961)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 5
Symphony No. 6
Symphony No. 7
Symphony No. 8
Symphony No. 9

Raminta Šerkšnytė (1975-)
Iceberg Symphony

Shakhida Shaimardanova (1938-)
Symphony in C major in One Movement

Masguda Shamsutdinova (1955-)
Symphony No. 1, “Tartar Steppe (Dastan)”
Symphony No. 2, “Ibn-Fadlan”
Symphony No. 3, “Genghis-Khan”

Elisabed Shaverzashvili (1940-2018)
Symphony in three movements
Choral Symphony

Verdina Shlonsky (1905-1990)
Symphony

Taisiya Shutenko (1905-1975)
Carmelite Symphony

Tamara Sidorenko-Malyukova (1919-2005)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3

Lena Sierova (1983-)
Symphony Chton

Arlene Sierra (1970-)
Nature Symphony (2017)
Bird Symphony (2021)

Elżbieta Sikora (1943-)
Symphony No. 1, “Shadows”

Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884) [aka Alice Mary Meadows White]
Symphony No. 1 in C minor (1863)
Symphony No. 2 in A minor (1876)
Symphony No. 3 in G major [existence is disputed]

Julia Frances Smith (1905-1989)
Folkways Symphony (1947-48)

Ethel Smyth (1858-1944)
Symphony, “The Prison”

Charlotte Sohy (1887-1955)
Symphony in C♯ minor, “Great War” (1917)

Ann Southam (1937-2010)
Chamber Symphony

Mihaela Stănculescu-Vosganian (1961-)
Symphony No. 1, for Three Groups of Instruments and String Orchestra
Symphony No. 2, for Organ, Percussion and String Orchestra, “Parallel Times”
Sax Symphony-Concerto

Helen Camille Stanley (1930-)
Symphony No. 1 (1954)

Carolyn Steinberg (1956-)
Chamber Symphony (1990)

Rita Strohl (1865-1941)
[born Aimée Marie Marguerite Mercédès Larousse La Villette]
Symphonie de la forêt (1901)
Symphonie de la mer (1902)

Dana Suesse (1909-1987)
Antique Symphony (1946)

Margaret Sutherland (1897-1984)
Symphony in F♯

Natela Svanidze (1926-2017)
Symphony for piano, string and percussion instruments
Symphony-Ballet
Symphony No. 2

Åsa Svensson (1970?-)
Symphony No. 1 (1993)

Edith Swepstone (1862-1942)
Symphony in G minor

Lubava Sydorenko (1979-)
“Ab initio”, symphony for large orchestra and solo violin

Diana Syrse (1984-)
Symphony No. 1, “Nach der Tragödie”

Andrea Tarrodi (1981-)
Symphony in Fire, Water, Earth & Air (2021)

Cornelia Tăutu (1938-2019)
Symphony No. 1, “1907”

Helen Taylor (1915-1950)
Symphony

Zlata Tcaci (1928-2006)
Symphony “Panopticum”, for strings, xylophone, and timpani

Livia Teodorescu-Ciocănea (1959-)
Archimedes Symphony

Alicia Terzian (1934-)
Symphony No. 1

Shirley J. Thompson (1958-)
New Nation Rising, A 21st Century Symphony

Anna Thorvaldsdottir (1977-)
AIŌN, symphony (2018)

Alena Tomlenova (1963-)
Symphony No. 1, poems by A. S. Pushkin
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 5
Symphony No. 6

Julia Tsenova (1948-2010)
Symphony for piano and orchestra (1972)

Karmella Tsepkolenko (1955-)
Symphony No. 1 “Symphonic Poem”
Symphony No. 2 “Symphonic Diptych”
Symphony No. 3 “Memorial Symphony”
Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 5

Anitra Tumševica (1971-)
Chamber symphony No. 1, “Die Stimme” (The Voice)
Chamber Symphony No. 2, “Signs”

Stefania Turkewich (1898-1977)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Space Symphony

Agnes Tyrrell (1846-1883)
Symphony in C major

Julia Usher (1945-)
Camulodunum Sinfonia

Galina Ustvolskaya (1919-2006)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2, “True and Eternal Bliss!”
Symphony No. 3, “Jesus Messiah, Save Us!”
Symphony No. 4, “Prayer”
Symphony No. 5, “Amen”

Nomeda Valančiūtė (1961-)
Little Symphony

Mary Jeanne Van Appledorn (1927-2014)
Symphony No.1
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 4 (1985-87)

Lucie Vellère (1896-1966)
Petite Symphony, for string orchestra

Mari Vihmand (1967-)
Symphony

Anastasia Vinogradova (1994-)
Symphony No. 1, “In Memoriam”
Symphony No. 2, “Metamorphosis”
Symphony No. 3, “Light Symphony”
Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 5, “Collage”

Sláva Vorlová (1894-1973)
Symphony

Errollyn Wallen (1958-)
Spirit Symphony – Speed-Dating for Two Orchestras
Spirit Symphony [version for one orchestra]
Carbon 12: A Choral Symphony

Harriet Ware (1877-1962)
New York Symphony (1910)

Elinor Remick Warren (1900-1991)
Symphony in One Movement (1970)
The Legend of King Arthur, A Choral Symphony, for baritone, tenor, choir and orchestra

Meira Warshauer (1949-)
Symphony No. 1, “Living, Breathing Earth”

Norma Wendelburg (1918-2016)
Symphony No. 1 (1967)

Ruth White (1925-2013)
Shofar Symphony (1965)

Gillian Whitehead (1942-)
Sinfonia

Margaret Lucy Wilkins (1939-)
Symphony

Grace Williams (1906-1977)
Sinfonia concertante
Symphony No. 1, “Symphonic Impressions”
Symphony No. 2

Regina Hansen Willman (1914-1965)
Anchorage Symphony

Ruth Shaw Wylie (1916-1989)
Symphony No. 1, op. 6, “Archaic” (1943)
Symphony No. 2, op. 11 (1948)

Alla Zahaikevych (1966-)
Symphony on the poetry of Vladimir Mayakovsky, for baritone and orchestra

Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph (1948-)
Construction Symphony, for youth orchestra
Sefirot Symphony, for woodwind, brass, percussion and harp

Judith Lang Zaimont (1945-)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2, “Remember Me”
Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 4 “Pure, Cool (Water)”

Isadora Žebeljan (1967-2020)
Symphony in Three Movements, “Escenas Picaras”

Ruth Zechlin (1926-2007)
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Chamber Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 3
Chamber Symphony No. 2

Gaziza Zhubanova (1927-1993)
Symphony No. 1, “Energy”
Symphony No. 2, “Island of Women”
Symphony No. 3, “Sarozek Metaphors”

Lidia Zielińska (1953-)
Little Atrophic Symphony
Sinfonia Concertante for Small Sound Devices, Small Percussion, and Large Orchestra

Diana Ziu (?-)
Symphony No. 1, “Apotheosis of the New Century”

Mirjana Živković (1935-2020)
Sinfonia polifonica

Agata Zubel (1978-)
Symphony No. 1 (2002)
Symphony No. 2, for 77 performers (2005)
Symphony No. 3, for a double-bell trumpet and orchestra (2010)

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (1939-)
Chamber Symphony (1979)
Symphony No. 1, “Three Movements for Orchestra” (1982)
Symphony No. 2, “Cello Symphony” (1985)
Symphony No. 3 (1992)
Symphony No. 4, “The Gardens” (1999)
Symphony No. 5, “Concerto for Orchestra” (2008)

57 thoughts on “Symphonies by Women”

    1. Here are some more symphonies out of my collection:
      Els Aarne
      Symphony no 2 (1966)

      Francine Aubin
      Symphony no 2 Symphonie l’espoir

      Cecile Chaminade
      Les Amazones, symphonie dramatique

      Elizabeth Violet Maconchy-Lefanu
      Symphony for double string orchestra

      Helvi Leiviskä (1902-1982)
      Sinfonia Brevis (1962)

      Helen Taylor
      Symphony (1950)

      Grace Williams (1906-1977)
      Sinfonia concertante (1941)

      1. Thanks, Peter, I added most of the symphonies you suggested. Realizing there can be a fuzzy line between what is and is not a symphony, I decided not to add these works for the following reasons.

        Cécile Chaminade – Les Amazones, symphonie dramatique
        In her Master’s thesis, “Cécile Chaminade: A Composer at Work”, Karen Jee-Hae McCann states on p.70, “One of the first questions this work raises is that of its genre. All references made to Les Amazones label it a ‘dramatic symphony’; even Chaminade herself called this composition a dramatic symphony. In the published piano score of Les Amazones, however, the subtitle clearly indicates that it is a ‘poème dramatique,’ a form that implies a shorter work, like the romantic one-movement tone poem, not a ‘symphonie dramatique.’ Yet, of course, as Hugh Macdonald recognizes, this work is not a symphonic poem in that it is not exclusively orchestral, as it features a chorus and three soloists that provide an actual narrative. Les Amazones appears to be a hybrid genre between a dramatic symphonic work and opera, that Chaminade modified and adapted as she saw fit.”
        Reference: https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/831/items/1.0090908

        Helvi Leiviskä – Sinfonia Brevis (1962)
        Helvi Leiviskä wrote her Symphony No. 2 in 1954 and her Symphony No. 3 in 1971, so because Sinfonia Brevis was written in between these works it appears she did not consider it a symphony, per se.

        Grace Williams – Sinfonia concertante (1941)
        Since Grace Williams wrote this work prior to her Symphony No. 1 (1943) and Symphony No. 2 (1956; rev. 1975), it appears she did not consider it to be a symphony.

        1. Peter, I’ve changed my mind about all three of these, and now include them in the symphonies list. See my note about this in the second paragraph at the top of the article.

  1. I believe that you have missed out on including Marianne Martinez (18th century) and Louise Farrenc (19th century). Otherwise I cannot immediately fill in any gaps in your list, although I am sure there are many more symphonies out there. I haven’t heard that many of these, but now I know where to start looking. All the best.

    1. Thank you, David! I have added the symphonies of both Marianne Martinez and Louise Farrenc to the list. In the future, if you find any others, please let me know.

      I was pleased to find all three of the symphonies by Louise Farrenc have been recorded and are available through HBDirect. Playing through the provided short excerpts of each was enough to entice me to purchase the two CDs.

  2. I’ve just started hearing in the last month about Leokadiya Kashperova (1872-1940), the piano teacher of Igor Stravinsky. She has a Symphony in B minor that has two performances on YouTube, and is being championed by the biographer of Igor Stravinsky, who while doing the research for his biography on Stravinsky, discovered her music. Boosey and Hawkes will be publishing modern versions of her existing scores.

    1. Thanks, Lee! I just added Leokadiya Kashperova and her Symphony in B minor to the list. Listening to it on YouTube, I look forward to a recording being released on CD, hopefully soon. Good find! Thanks again.

  3. Thank you for listing the symphonies.
    Those with Numbers 2, 3,4,7,8,9, 10, 16, and 17 have all been recorded. They are on cpo, naxos and new world. Some are on you tube.
    Symphony No. 17 can be added as “Fonte di Rimini” on New World .

    1. You are very welcome, Gloria! I have added your Symphony No. 17 to the list and added additional links to symphonies that didn’t have them that I could find on CD (first choice) or You Tube (second choice). I shall be happy to add additional or improved links as I am made aware of them. Many thanks!

  4. Hi there, thanks so much for this list! A few Canadian composers that are missing (you can find their info on the Canadian Music Centre’s website musiccentre.ca):
    Barbara Pentland
    Heather Schmidt
    Violet Archer
    Elizabeth Raum

    Thanks again!

    1. Thank you, Amanda! I have added these four composers and the symphonies they have written. If you find any others, or have any updates, please let know as you come across them. I was not aware of the musiccentre.ca site. What a fantastic resource! Thanks much.

  5. Hello, Here are some of the recordings not listed for symphonies of Gloria Coates:
    Symphony No. 17. “Fonte di Rimini” is on 80599-2 of New World Records
    Symphony No. 9 “Homage to Van Gogh”. on CPO 999 590 – 2 (1998)
    Symphony No. 16 “Time Frozen” on CPO 999 590 – 2

    composer Gloria Coates. These are recordings of symphonies not shown.

  6. Hello again!

    Symphony no. 3 Version 2 with violin “Holographic Universe” by Gloria Coates
    has another version with Violin called “Holographic Universe”
    It is recorded on a TZADIK CD called ‘At Midnight’. a John Zorn label
    CD of Music by Gloria Coates

  7. Added symphonies by Els Aarne, Francine Aubin, Elizabeth Maconchy, and Helen Taylor (thanks, Peter!).

    Also added symphonies by Johanna Doderer and Onutė Narbutaitė.

    1. Thanks, Joachim! I’ve added Victoria Borisova-Ollas and her two symphonies (so far!) and greatly appreciate your telling me about this composer who is new to me. Thanks also for posting the YouTube link!

        1. The second symphony is broadcast from time to time by Swedish Radio SR P2. I can drop a note here next time I see it in the programme (most broadcasts are available online for four weeks).

  8. Thank you for this list. Here are a few more, staring with names from A to D:

    Rosalina Abejo (1922-1991)
    Guerilla Symphony
    Brotherhood Symphony
    Jubilee Symphony
    Symphony of Psalms
    Symphony of Life
    Symphony of Fortitude and Sudden Spring
    Beatriz Symphony
    Marian Symphony
    Pioneer Symphony

    Lajla Agolli (1950)
    Symphony

    Olʹga Aljušina (Olga Alyushina, 1975)
    Symphony

    Julia Alonso Marquez (1889-1977)
    2 symphonies

    Karen Amrhein (1970)
    Symphony of Seasons

    Minni K. Ang (1966)
    Symphony

    Dina Appeldoorn (1884-1938)
    May Symphony, in A
    “Wie in lauter Helligkeit” for soprano, chorus and orchestra
    North Sea Symphony

    Kimberly K . Archer (1973)
    Symphony No. 1 For Those Taken Too Soon… (for concert band)
    Symphony No. 2 (for concert band)
    Symphony No. 3 (for concert band)

    Reiko Arima (1933)
    Symphony Okinawa

    Claude Arrieu (1903-1990)
    Symphony in C Major

    Ana-Maria Avram (1961-2017)
    Symphony

    Pikə Axundova-Talıblı (1984)
    Symphony No. 1
    Symphony No. 2

    Maya Badian (1945)
    Symphony-Diptych
    Symphony Holocaust – In Memoriam

    Teresa Barbara Bancer (1935)
    Symphony

    Mansi Barberis (1899-1986)
    Symphony

    Marie Barker-Nelson (1926)
    Symphony the Medead
    Symphony Hodeeyaada
    Symphony for the Millenium

    Elsa Barraine has composed a Symphony No. 3 in 1947

    Rasa Bartkevičiūtė (1967)
    Symphony No. 1 In perpetuum
    Symphony No. 2 Fantasia
    Symphony No. 3 Eldorado
    Symphony No. 4 Rhapsody

    Marion Bauer (1887-1955)
    Symphony No. 1

    Anđelka Bego-Šimunić (1941)
    Symphony No. 1

    Elizabeth Bell (1928-2016)
    Symphony No. 1

    Ivane Bellocq (1958)
    Symphonie déconcertante

    Diane Bish (1941)
    A Symphony of Hymns (or Psalms)

    Sylvie Bodorová (1954)
    Symphony “con le campane”

    Nataša Bogojević Bugarinović( 1966)
    Symphony No. 1

    Margaret Brandman (1951)
    Firestorm Symphony

    Ilona Breģe (1959)
    Symphony No. 1
    Symphony No. 2
    Symphony No. 3 Forgiveness

    Margaret Brouwer (1940)
    Symphony No. 1 Lake Voices

    Joanna Bruzdowicz (1943)
    Symphony No. 2, plus two more symphonies (1975, 1997)

    Nini Bulterijs (1929-1989)
    Symphony

    Diana Burrell (1948)
    Symphonies of Flocks, Herds, and Shoals

    Santa Bušs (1981)
    Chamber symphony “Liminarity”

    Sofía Cancino de Cuevas (1897-1982)
    Symphony No. 1
    Symphony No. 2

    Matilde Capuis (1913-2017)
    Symphony in G Major

    Ann Carr-Boyd (1938)
    Symphony in three movements

    Karmella Cepkolenko (Tsepkolenko, 1955)
    “Neun Meditationen über zwei Welten”, chamber symphony for voices and chamber orchestra
    Memorial Symphony
    Parallels, chamber symphony no. 1
    “Alles, Ausser – Was Noch Alles Ist…”, chamber symphony no. 2
    Chamber symphony no. 3

    Wendy May Chambers (1953)
    Symphony of the Universe (unusual instrumentation)

    Françoise Choveaux (1953)
    Indigo Symphony
    White Symphony

    Geghuni Ch’t’ch’yan (Chitchian, 1929)
    Chamber Symphony

    Iulia Cibişescu-Duran (1966)
    Symphony No. 1

    Maia Ciobanu (1952)
    Symphony “Journal ’88”
    Symphony after Enescu

    Emma Lou Diemer (1927)
    Antique Symphony
    Symphony No. 2

    Narcisa Donátová (1928-1981)
    Symphony No. 1
    Symphony No. 2

    Sanja Drakulić (1963)
    Symphony “1991”

    Leśa Dyčko (Lesya Dychko, 1939)
    Symphony “Greetings of life” for soprano, bass and chamber orchestra
    Symphony “The wind of revolution”
    Symphony “Green Gospel” for soprano, bass and chamber orchestra
    Cantata-Symphony “You start with the eyes”

    1. Thanh-Tâm et al.,

      I’ve entered all the A-D composers, but I am unable to find any reference for the following symphonies:

      Teresa Barbara Bancer (1935-2019): Symphony

      Elsa Barraine (1910-1999): Symphony No. 3 (1947)

      Nataša Bogojević (1966-): Symphony No. 1

      Now, on to the E-J composers!

      Many thanks,

      Dave

  9. Here are more for letters E-J (I added dashes as all line breaks were suppressed when I posted my previous reply):

    Ljudmila Efimcova (Lyudmila Efimtsova, 1948): Symphony No. 1 —
    Maija Einfelde (1939): Choral Symphony; Symphony —
    Firəngiz Əlizadə (Frangiz Alizade, 1047): Symphony —
    Anfisa Fiodorova (1953: Symphony No. 1 “monopartita” —
    Elena Firsova (1950): Symphony “da camera” —
    Elena Fiştic (1963) : Haiduk Symphony —
    Bohdana Froľak (Frolyak, 1968): Symphony No. 1 Orbis Terrarum – Symphony No. 2 —
    Rina Furano (1989): Symphony No. 1 in F Major – Symphony No. 2 in C Major —
    Varvara Gajgerova (Gaigerova, 1903-1944): Symphony on Kalmyk themes – Symphony for the 20th anniversary of October —
    Nancy Galbraith (1951): Wind Symphony No. 1 – Chamber Symphony No. 1 —
    Rachel Galinne (1949): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 – Chamber Symphony (composed after the other two)
    Stacy Garrop (1969): Mythology Symphony —
    Miriam Gideon (1906-1996): Symphonia brevis —
    Julie Giroux (1961): A Symphony of Fables —
    Peggy Glanville-Hicks (1912-1990): Sinfonia da Pacifica —
    Ida Gotkovsky (1933): Symphony for strings and timpani – Symphony for eighty wind instruments – Spring Symphony – Brilliant Symphony – Symphony to Youth —
    Clémence de Grandval composed four symphonies, entitled “the Morning”, “the Evening”, “Amazones” (lyric symphony) and “Callirhoé” (ballet-symphony) —
    Marina Gribinčika (1966): Symphony —
    Sofia Gubaidulina composed two more symphonies, one in 1958, the other in 1994 (“Figures of Time”) —
    Margareta Hallin (1931): Sinfonia piccola —
    Irina Hasnaş (1954): Symphony No. 1 —
    Anna Havryleć (Havrylets, 1958): Chamber Symphony no. 1 – Chamber Symphony no. 2 “In Memoriam” – “A-corda”, symphony for viola and strings —
    Rəhilə Həsənova (Rahila Hasanova, 1951): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 – Symphony No. 3 —
    Mirrie Hill (1889-1986): Symphony in A: Arnhem Land —
    Dulcie Holland (1913-2000): Symphony for pleasure —
    Emily Howard (1979): Symphony: Magnetite —
    Aida Isaakova (1940-2012): Symphony for timpani and strings —
    Šušano Ishakbajeva (Susanna Iskhakbaeva, 1957): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 – Symphony No. 3 —
    Marta Jiráčková (1932): Symphony No. 1 Nanda Devi – Symphony No. 2 Silbo —
    Betsy Joas (1926): Symphony for small orchestra —
    Reine Jönsson (1960): A Symphony —
    Milijana Jović (1950): Symphony No. 1 for string orchestra – Symphony No. 2 —
    Ǵazıza Jubanova (1927-1993): Symphony No. 1 Jiger – Symphony No. 2 Isla de las Mujeres – Symphony No. 3 Sarozek metaphors —

    1. Thanh-Tâm et al.,

      I’ve entered all the E-J composers, but I am unable to find any reference for the following composers/symphonies:

      Elena Firsova (1950): Symphony “da camera”

      Elena Fiştic (1963) : Haiduk Symphony

      Šušano Ishakbajeva (Susanna Iskhakbaeva, 1957): Symphony No. 1, Symphony No. 2, Symphony No. 3

      Betsy Jolas (1926): Symphony for small orchestra

      Now, on to the K-O composers!

      Many thanks,

      Dave

      P.S. I now have access to Grove Music Online which I am finding very helpful.

      1. Elena Firsova completed her sinfonia da camera in 1972, so it is a very early work. The simplest would probably to ask her if you want to double check.

        A search for “Fiştic simfonia” will lead you to a PDF document from the Bălți State University that actually mentiones Elena Fiştic’s symphony no. 3 as having received a prize in 2006. The “Haiducească” symphony was completed in 1986, I must have found the reference on a paper document.

        For Šušano Ishakbajeva, a reference to her 2nd symphony can be found here: https://pandia.ru/text/78/138/33109-3.php (a recording is also available on some Russian websites but I am not sure how protected they are against viruses). I read somewhere that she had composed three symphonies, unfortunately many pages have gone offline in past years.

        For Betsy Jolas, please see here: http://brahms.ircam.fr/works/work/18608/

        Best wishes,

        Thanh-Tâm

  10. From letters K-O:

    Kikuko Kanai (1911-1986): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 —
    Dalia Kairaitytė (1953): Symphony —
    Elena Kats-Chernin (1957): Garden Symphony – Symphonia Eluvium —
    Merzie Khalitova (1956): Symphony No. 1 Revival – Symphony No. 2 for chamber orchestra – Symphony No. 3 Dedication – Symphony No. 4 for flute and string orchestra – Symphony No. 5 Ametkhan – Symphony No. 6 Yashlyk sedasy —
    Rusudan Korava (1954): Chamber Symphony For string orchestra – Romantic
    Symphony for mezzo-soprano and symphony orchestra —
    Makiko Kinoshia (1956): Sinfonia for brass —
    Antoinette Kirkwood (1930-2014): Symphony No. 1 —
    Ljudmila Knjazeva (Lyudmila Kniazeva, 1947): Symphony No. 1 The Ascent – Symphony No. 2 —
    Luna Koen-Puđa (1919-2004): Symphony —
    Celina Kohan de Scher (1931-2015): Symphony No. 1 in C Major – Symphony No. 2 —
    Jitka Koželuhová (1966): Symphony “2007” —
    Ekaterina Koževnikova (Kozhevnikova, 1954): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 Sinfonia in memory of mother – Symphony No. 3 —
    Agneta Krilova (1980): Polar Symphony —
    Grażyna Krzanowska (1952): Symphony with timpani strikes – Little Choral Symphony —
    Mayako Kubo (1947): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 “Reopening” —
    Hanna Kulenty (1961): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 for mixed choir and orchestra – Symphony No. 3 —
    Renata Kunkel (1954): Symphony —
    Ann Kuppens (1964): Sinfonia Bellicosa —
    Iryna Kyrylina (1953): Symphony (1977) – Chamber Symphony “Zerfall” —
    Eleni Lambiri (1889-1960): Symphony in B minor —
    Beatrice Laufer (1923-1996): Symphony No. 1 —
    Linda Leimane (1989): Chamber Symphony “Guesstimations” —
    Katarina Leyman (1963): Symphony “Transient Skies” —
    Ivana Loudová (1941-2017): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 for solo alto voice, chorus and orchestra —
    Enid Luff (1935): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 —
    Dame Elizabeth Lutyens (1906-1983): Symphonies —
    Myriam Marbé (1931-1997): Symphony No. 1 Ur-Ariadna – Sym-phonia —
    Tera de Marez Oyens (1932-1996): Sinfonia Testimonial – Squaw Sachem Symphony —
    Maryna Marozava (1958): Symphony “It was black – Symphony “At the fair” – she has is said to have composed three symphonies to date —
    Stephanie Martin (1962): “Babel”, a choral symphony —
    Paule Maurice (1910-1967): Symphony —
    Jenny McLeod (1941): Little Symphony —
    Cindy McTee (1953): Symphony No. 1 “Ballet for Orchestra” —
    Margaret Meier (1936): Claremont Symphony —
    Jelena Milenković-Živković (1944): Symphony —
    Zarrina Mirşakar (1947): Symphony No. 1 —
    Akiana Molina (1963): Symphony “Herediana” —
    Dorothy Rudd Morre (1940): Symphony No. 1 —
    Johanna Müller-Hermann (1878-1941): Symphony in D minor —
    Florentine Mulsant (1962): Symphony No. 1 for strings – Symphony No. 2 Exile —
    Gráinne Mulvey (1966): Symphony No. 1 —
    Thea Musgrave (1928): Sinfonia —
    Onutė Narbutaitė composed Symphonies No. 3 “Tres Dei Matris Symphoniae” and No. 4 “riva fiume sinfonia”. There is also the “Sinfonia con triangolo” which is clearly a symphony, but as it is not numbered between “Symphony No. 1” and “Symphony No. 2”, I suppose that you wouldn’t count it —
    Polina Nazaykinskaya (1987): Symphony No. 1 April Song —
    Tatʹjana Nikolaeva (Tatyana Nikolayeva, 1924-1993): Symphony —
    Katharine Norman (1960): Symphony —
    Eurydice V. Osterman (1950): Heritage Symphony —

    1. Thanh-Tâm et al.,

      I’ve entered all the K-O composers, but I am unable to find any reference for the following two composers:

      Rusudan Korava (1954-)

      Maryna Marozava (1958-)

      Now, on to the P-Z composers!

      Many thanks,

      Dave

  11. Posting again the first part (A-D) with dashes so that it can be read more easily.

    Rosalina Abejo (1922-1991): Guerilla Symphony – Brotherhood Symphony – Jubilee Symphony – Symphony of Psalms – Symphony of Life – Symphony of Fortitude and Sudden Spring – Beatriz Symphony – Marian Symphony – Pioneer Symphony —
    Lajla Agolli (1950): Symphony —
    Olʹga Aljušina (Olga Alyushina, 1975): Symphony —
    Julia Alonso Marquez (1889-1977): 2 symphonies —
    Karen Amrhein (1970): Symphony of Seasons —
    Minni K. Ang (1966): Symphony —
    Dina Appeldoorn (1884-1938): May Symphony, in A – Symphony “Wie in lauter Helligkeit” for soprano, chorus and orchestra – North Sea Symphony —
    Kimberly K. Archer (1973): Symphony No. 1 For Those Taken Too Soon… (for concert band) – Symphony No. 2 (for concert band) – Symphony No. 3 (for concert band) —
    Reiko Arima (1933): Symphony Okinawa —
    Claude Arrieu (1903-1990): Symphony in C Major —
    Ana-Maria Avram (1961-2017): Symphony —
    Pikə Axundova-Talıblı (1984): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 —
    Maya Badian (1945): Symphony-Diptych – Symphony “Holocaust – In Memoriam” —
    Teresa Barbara Bancer (1935): Symphony —
    Mansi Barberis (1899-1986): Symphony —
    Marie Barker-Nelson (1926): Symphony the Medead – Symphony Hodeeyaada – Symphony for the Millenium —
    Elsa Barraine has composed a Symphony No. 3 in 1947 —
    Rasa Bartkevičiūtė (1967): Symphony No. 1 In perpetuum – Symphony No. 2 Fantasia – Symphony No. 3 Eldorado – Symphony No. 4 Rhapsody —
    Marion Bauer (1887-1955): Symphony No. 1 —
    Anđelka Bego-Šimunić (1941): Symphony No. 1 —
    Elizabeth Bell (1928-2016): Symphony No. 1 —
    Ivane Bellocq (1958): Symphonie déconcertante —
    Diane Bish (1941): A Symphony of Hymns (or Psalms) —
    Sylvie Bodorová (1954): Symphony “con le campane” —
    Nataša Bogojević Bugarinović (1966): Symphony No. 1 —
    Margaret Brandman (1951): Firestorm Symphony —
    Ilona Breģe (1959): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 – Symphony No. 3 Forgiveness —
    Margaret Brouwer (1940): Symphony No. 1 Lake Voices —
    Joanna Bruzdowicz (1943): Symphony No. 2, plus two more symphonies (1975, 1997) —
    Nini Bulterijs (1929-1989): Symphony —
    Diana Burrell (1948): Symphonies of Flocks, Herds, and Shoals —
    Santa Bušs (1981): Chamber symphony “Liminarity” —
    Sofía Cancino de Cuevas (1897-1982): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 —
    Matilde Capuis (1913-2017): Symphony in G Major —
    Ann Carr-Boyd (1938): Symphony in three movements —
    Karmella Cepkolenko (Tsepkolenko, 1955): “Neun Meditationen über zwei Welten”, chamber symphony for voices and chamber orchestra – Memorial Symphony – Parallels, chamber symphony no. 1 – “Alles, Ausser – Was Noch Alles Ist…”, chamber symphony no. 2 – Chamber symphony no. 3 — Wendy May Chambers (1953): Symphony of the Universe (unusual instrumentation) —
    Françoise Choveaux (1953): Indigo Symphony – White Symphony —
    Geghuni Ch’t’ch’yan (Chitchian, 1929): Chamber Symphony —
    Iulia Cibişescu-Duran (1966): Symphony No. 1 —
    Maia Ciobanu (1952): Symphony “Journal ’88” – Symphony after Enescu — Emma Lou Diemer (1927): Antique Symphony – Symphony No. 2 —
    Narcisa Donátová (1928-1981): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 —
    Sanja Drakulić (1963): Symphony “1991” —
    Leśa Dyčko (Lesya Dychko, 1939): Symphony “Greetings of life” for soprano, bass and chamber orchestra – Symphony “The wind of revolution” – Symphony “Green Gospel” for soprano, bass and chamber orchestra – Cantata-Symphony “You start with the eyes”

    1. Dear Thanh-Tam,

      Wow! This is simply wonderful! It will take me a few days to add all these composers, but I will! This just goes to show that even if one spends a lifetime listening to classical music, there is so much left to discover. Not all music is first-rate, to be sure, but I’m sure that there are many neglected or unknown works (and composers!) that are first-rate. It would be great to be part of an organized effort to bring the best neglected or unknown works to light, somehow accounting for differences in musical taste by having several people listen to (or read through, when no recording is available) each work and individually rating it.

      I have only added the “A”s so far, and I have a few questions.

      • Rosalina Abejo: I cannot find a reference to her Marian Symphony, but I did find some additional ones not in your list that I added.
      • Olga Alyushina: I cannot find a reference to her Symphony.
      • Minni Kim-Huai Ang: I cannot find a reference to her Symphony
      • Claude Arrieu (who is actually Ann Marie Simon): I cannot find a reference to her Symphony.

      Will add these as soon as I have a reference. Perhaps you can help?

      Many thanks!

      Dave

      1. Dear Dave,

        You’re welcome, and thank you for the additional information about Rosalina Abejo! A reference to Marian Symphony can be found in the German wikipedia page but I’ll see whether I can find another one.
        https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalina_Abejo#Werke_(Auswahl)

        For Olga Alyushina, what I have in my database is that her symphony was composed in 2002. Mention of the symphony can be found here:
        https://www.mosconsv.ru/ru/person.aspx?id=153474

        For Minni Kim-Huai Ang, I found a mention of the symphony many years ago (it was completed in 1998). Perhaps it was in one of her research papers; not easy to retrieve the source since she seems to have since moved to children’s music and song arrangements. I’ll try and ask on her Facebook page.

        Claude Arrieu’s first name was actually Louise-Marie. There is a mention of her symphony here:
        http://musiqueclassique.forumpro.fr/t363-claude-arrieu
        It certainly is not one of her works performed nowadays here in France (very few are, sadly) but this doesn’t mean that it is not interesting. I know a few French symphonies which are among the best composed after WWII and they have totally fallen out of public awareness, e.g. Desenclos’s second (and only surviving) symphony or Harsányi’s symphony.

        Generally the effort you are mentioning would be very worthwhile but it is a huge task obviously. Thousands of symphonies are available on CD or online and quite a few more are not (usually broadcast just once on some radio station) but are indeed outstanding, not to mention all of the unperformed ones. My online list of symphonists (which is not trying to be comprehensive – if only because many people have written pieces which they have called symphonies but are just beginner’s attempts at short simple pieces) comes close to 18,000 symphonies, and this is almost exclusively post-1800. I have been trying to come up with a synthetic table of the main symphonies (most of which I have heard, but others mentioned from indirect references) per group of countries and period of 5-10 years, limiting myself to 12 per block. In some cases, it is fairly easy because there probably aren’t 12 altogether. In others, it is really difficult to choose and ultimately quite arbitrary. As you said, the selection will inevitably depend on who is making it. And if you have many contributors, which is the only way to deal with such numbers (I have probably heard three or four thousand symphonies myself but couldn’t write relevant comments about most of them without hearing or reading them again), then the challenge is to combine diversity and consistency.

        Good luck for your endeavour in any case!

        Thanh-Tâm

        1. Thank you, Thanh-Tâm, this is very helpful information! You certainly must have compiled the largest list of symphonies in all the world, I am deeply in your debt and profoundly grateful. Thanks for your patience as I add all these composers and their symphonies to my list. I will do a few every day until I have added them all.

          Seeing the enormous amount of music being written by women (and everyone else, for that matter), if even 1% of it is first-rate, then there must be hundreds of composers and thousands of compositions that are undeservedly neglected. So I have created a discussion group called “Classical Music Little-Known Favorites” that I hope many music lovers the world-over will join and post audio files of new and neglected works (and composers) that they are most enthused about so that we all can be introduced to them. Here is the link to the discussion group I just created:

          https://groups.io/g/ClassicalMusicLittleKnownFavorites

          Many thanks,

          Dave

          1. Thank you Dave, I shall definitely visit your discussion group!

            As concerns Minni Kim-Huai Ang, I asked her and here was her reply: “Yes that symphony does exist but there is no online version of it. I wrote it back when I was teaching at the University and our University Orchestra performed it but it’s not published anywhere else”.

            Best wishes,

            Thanh-Tâm

  12. And the last batch, for letters P-Z:

    Catharina Palmér (1963): Symphony No. 1: Nuances, for orchestra & chorus —
    Märta Peterson-Serafinowitsch (1912): Symphony No. 1 —
    Carmen Petra Basacopol (1926): Symphony —
    Elena Petrová (1929-2002): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 – Symphony No. 3 —
    Alexandra Pierce (1934): Symphony No. 1 Behemoth – Symphony No. 2 – Dances on the Face of the Deep —
    Claire Polin (1926-1995): Symphony in two movements – Symphony No. 2 —
    Oliveria Prescott (1843-1919): Symphony in B flat, Alkestis – the score of another symphony seems to be lost —
    María Teresa Prieto (1896-1982): Symphony No. 1 Asturian – Symphony No. 2 Short – Symphony No. 3 of the First Dance —
    Tatiana Probst (1987): Symphony No. 1 —
    Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil (1947): Ocean-Symphony —
    Marta Ptaszyńska (1943): Sinfonia Wratislavia —
    Priaulx Rainier (1903-1986): Sinfonia da camera —
    Santa Ratniece (1977): Chamber Symphony “Shant nadi”/ “Lēna upe” —
    Weronika Ratusińska-Zamuszko (1977): Symphony —
    Daiva Rokaitė-Dženkaitienė (1972-2010): Little Symphony —
    Doina Rotaru (1951): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 – Symphony No. 3 Spirit of Elements —
    Dilorom Saidaminova (1943): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 —
    Alessandra Salvati (1968): Symphony —
    Rhian Samuel (1944): Elegy Symphony —
    Amada Santos Ocampo (1925-2009): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 —
    Elena Šataitė (1992): Symphony “Eremos” —
    Eglė Sausanavičiūtė (1963): Symphony (1987) – Symphony “Somnium Simfonie” – Symphony of Space —
    Raminta Šerkšnytė (1975): Iceberg Symphony —
    Shakhida Shaimardanova (1938): Symphony in D —
    Masguda Shamsutdinova (Mäsğudä Şämsetdinova, 1955): Symphony No. 1 Dastan (Tartar Steppe) – Symphony No. 2 İbn Fadlan – Symphony No. 3 Çıñğız xan (Genghis Khan) —
    Elisabed Shaverzashvili (1940): Symphony in three movements – Choral Symphony —
    Olena Sierova (1983): Symphony “Chton” —
    Elżbieta Sikora (1943): Symphony No. 1 “Shadows” – Wroclaw Symphony (Sonospheres III & IV) —
    Alice Mary Smith composed three symphonies (in C minor, A minor and G major) —
    Julia (Frances) Smith (1911-1989): Folkways Symphony —
    Charlotte Sohy (1887-1955): Symphony in C flat minor —
    Ann Southam (1937-2010): Chamber Symphony —
    Tajisija Šutenko (Tayisiya Shutenko, 1905-1995): Carmelite Symphony —
    Margaret Sutherland (1897-1984): Symphony No. 1 in five movements – Symphony No. 2 Four symphonic concepts —
    Natela Svanidze (1926): Symphony for piano, string and percussion instruments – Symphony-Ballet – Symphony No. 2 —
    Åsa Svensson (1970): Symphony No. 1 —
    Edith Swepstone (1862-1942): Symphony in G minor —
    Ľubava (Lubawa) Sydorenko (1979): Symphony “Ab initio” —
    Tamara Sydorenko-Maľukova (Malyukova, 1919-2005): two symphonies (1946, 1950) —
    Diana Syrse Valdés Rosada (1984): Symphony No. 1 “Nach der Tragödie; Colección de Realidades” —
    Zlata Tcaci (Tkach, 1928-2006): Symphony Panopticum —
    Livia Teodorescu-Ciocănea (1959): Archimedes Symphony —
    Alicia Terzian (1934): Symphony No. 1 —
    Shirley J. Thompson (1958): “New Nation Rising, A 21st Century Symphony” —
    Aľona Tomľonova (Aljona Tomljonova, 1963): Symphony No. 1 “A gift in vain, a gift of chance, life, why are you given to me?” – Symphony No. 2 “in memory of grandmother” – Symphony No. 3 – Symphony No. 4 – Symphony No. 5 —
    Helena Tulve (1972): Chamber Symphony —
    Anitra Tumševica (1971): Chamber Symphony No. 1 “the Voice” – Chamber Symphony No. 2 “Signs” —
    Stefanija Turkevyč-Lukijanovyč (Stefaniya Turkevych-Lukiyanovych, 1898-1977): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 – Symphony “Painting” – Symphony “Space” —
    Julia Usher (1945): Camulodunum Sinfonia —
    Nomeda Valančiūtė (1961): Little Symphony —
    Mari Vihmand (1967): Symphony —
    Anastasia Vinogradova (1994): Symphony in one movement – Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 Transformation – Symphony No. 3 Light SYmphony – Symphony No. 4 —
    Sláva Vorlová (1894-1973): Symphony —
    Errollyn Wallen (1958): “Spirit Symphony – Speed-Dating for Two Orchestras” – “Carbon 12 – a Choral Symphony” —
    Elinor Remick Warren (1900-1991): Symphony in one movement – “The Passing of King Arthur, A Choral Symphony” —
    Meira Warshauer (1949): Symphony No. 1 Living Breathing Earth —
    Gillian Whitehead (1941): Sinfonia —
    Alla Zahajkevyč (Zagaykevych, 1966): Symphony on the poetry of V. Mayakovsky —
    Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph (1948): Sefirot Symphony —
    Isidora Žebeljan (1967-2020): “Picaresque Scenes”, symphony in three movements —
    Ruth Zechlin (1926-2007): Symphony No. 1 – Symphony No. 2 – Symphony No. 3 – Chamber Symphony No. 1 – Chamber Symphony No. 2 —
    Lidia Zielińska (1953): Little atrophied symphony (despite its ironic title, it is a real symphony, 22 minutes long) —
    Diana Ziu (nc): Symphony “Apotheosis of the New Century” —
    Mirjana Živković (1935): Sinfonia polifonica —
    Agata Zubel (1978): Symphony No. 1 for orchestra – Symphony No. 2 for 77 performers – Symphony No. 3 —

    1. Thanh-Tâm et al.,

      I’ve entered all the P-Z composers, except I have some questions about the following:

      Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil (1947-): L’Ocean for symphony orchestra (2012)—is this a symphony?

      Elisabed Shaverzashvili (1940-): Symphony in three movements & Choral Symphony—need references

      Ann Southam (1937-2010): Chamber Symphony—need reference

      Åsa Svensson (1970-): Symphony No. 1—need reference

      Lubava Sydorenko (1979-): Ab initio for violin solo and string orchestra (2005)—is this a symphony?

      Diana Syrse (1984-): Nach der Tragödie & Colección de Realidades—I don’t think these are symphonies

      Helena Tulve (1972-): Chamber Symphony—need reference

      Many thanks!

      Dave

  13. Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil: at least it is called “Ocean-Symphony” (https://culture.pl/pl/tworca/grazyna-pstrokonska-nawratil).

    Elisabed Shaverzashvili: the information came from the Georgian Music Information Centre (then an official member of IAMIC) website which is offline now. Sadly, the composer herself passed away in 2018.

    Ann Southam: https://collections.cmccanada.org/final/Portal/Music-Library.aspx?component=AAEY&record=d800e58a-ac5e-4eca-bada-9168fffb41c3

    Åsa Svensson: I have had this symphony in my records at least since 2003 (symphony no. 1, composed in 1993, 46 minutes long…), it may have come from the old STIM website but I cannot seem to retrieve the info right now. Let me ask in groups devoted to Scandinavian music.

    Lubava Sydorenko: please see here: https://lnma.edu.ua/kafedry/kafedra-kompozytsiji/liubava-sydorenko/spysok-tvoriv-liubavy-sydorenko/.

    Diana Syrse: according to the published “Latin American Classical Composers: A Biographical Dictionary”, the title of her first symphony is “Nach der Tragödie; Colección de Realidades”. However, her YouTube channel does separate both works and mentions the former as “Sinfonie I, Nach der Tragödie”, indeed for very unconventional forces (it wouldn’t be the only “symphony” in that case though).

    Helena Tulve : I am checking with a friend who knows her, perhaps it was withdrawn.

    Best wishes,

    Thanh-Tâm

    1. Here you are about Åsa Svensson’s Symphony No. 1: https://www.svenskmusik.org/en/works/symfoni-nr-1-120267 . But this is a real mystery. I have asked and two significant Swedish composers have already responded that they didn’t know about a composer named Åsa Svensson! In those years, there was a tennis champion with that full name but she was born in 1975, not 1970, and was not known for composing extended Neobaroque / Neoclassical / Neoromantic symphonies for Mozart orchestras.

      As for Helena Tulve’s chamber symphony, the mystery is also unsolved, as the other works mentioned under the same item were either completed under a different title or cannot be found altogether. I wonder whether this might have been a request for public funding to cover the costs of four new works to be premiered during the David Oistrakh Festival in Pärnu, possibly the subsidy was not granted. When we hear back from Helena Tulve, I shall keep you informed.

      1. Dave,
        As I was just informed that the document above mentioning Helena Tulve’s chamber symphony was not supposed to be publicly available (which I had no way of guessing), can you please remove the corresponding URL from my post? Many thanks.

      2. Hi Thanh-Tâm,

        Thank you for researching these composers and works I asked about. I have added all of them to the list except for Helena Tulve—will wait to hear back from you on her.

        I have so far posted 17 little-known works since April to the groups.io list Classical Music Little-Known Favorites, including several works by women composers including symphonies. However, I am disappointed that only two others have joined the list, and I am the only one who is posting (so far). Not sure how to best advertise the existence of this list. My intent is for CMLKF to be a forum for sharing performances and non-commercial recordings of works not currently available on CD that each of us is enthused about. Hoping you and others will join, Thanh-Tâm, and that you will have time for an occasional posting. I am also hoping that some contemporary composers will share some of their own works on CMLKF as well!

        Dave

  14. Dear Dave, Thank you so much for listing my symphonies! Edition Peters contacted me in 2018 to publish my music, especially the symphonies. The first group will appear on October 22 ….so I am busy correcting scores and parts! I was thinking that it might be helpful to list the published symphonies as I am now among the ‘very elderly’, and someone interested in them would have access to them. The ones to appear in October are: Symphony No. 1 , Symphony No. 3, Symphony No. 4, Symphony No. 7, Symphony No. 11, Symphony No. 14, and Symphony No. 15. Edition Peters offices are New York, London and Leipzig. (For October are also five string quartets, 3 chamber pieces and a vocal solo.) Thank you again!
    Gloria

    1. Dear Gloria,

      This is great news! I’ve updated my list of your 17 symphonies, and added completion (and revision) dates for each. Please let me know if anything is amiss. Was Symphony No. 16 completed in 1993 as I have listed, or was it completed in 2005 or later? Did you complete your Symphony No. 17 in 2017?

      I could not find any recordings (yet!) of these symphonies: 3, 3 v.2, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 16, and 17. Hopefully, the Edition Peters publication of your scores will lead to several more of your symphonies being recorded!

      By the way, I really like the 2nd movement (“Glass of Time”) of your Symphony No. 7. More to explore, of course!

      All the Best,

      Dave

  15. Hallo Dave,

    great work!
    You can add Louise Auguste Marie Julia Haenel de Cronenthall (1836-1896) to the list. To my knowledge, she wrote 5 symphonies: 1) La cinquantaine villageoise, 2) Salute au printemps, 3) La fantastique, 4) Appolonia, 5) Bonheur pastoral.

    Have you ever considered making the post into a Wikipedia article? Something like the article “Piano trio repertoire”? You could also link to it from Wikipedia articles like “Women in music” and “Women in classical music”. It would probably increase the reach.

    All the best,
    Claudia

    1. Thanks, Claudia! I have added Louise Haenel de Cronenthall and her five symphonies to the list. I was not able to find opus number, key, or composition year for any of her symphonies, unfortunately. I am in the process of adding that information for all of the works on this list (where possible). I agree, adding a “Symphonies by Women” article to Wikipedia following the model of the “Piano trio repertoire” article would be exceedingly useful. Hopefully, I or someone else will be able to do that in the near future. Many thanks for the suggestions!

      Kind regards,
      Dave

  16. Rita Strohl (born Aimée Marie Marguerite Mercédès Larousse La Villette) (8 July 1865 – 27 March 1941)

    Symphonie de la forêt (1901)

    Symphonie de la mer (1902)

  17. Pingback: “…aus verborgenen Teilen meines Selbst” -Nachruf auf die Komponistin Gloria Coates (1933–2023) von Susanne Wosnitzka – Gaby dos Santos

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