Women and the Piano

Susan Tomes traces the lives of fifty women pianists from across the instrument’s history, showing how they broke convention to play, perform, and compose on their own terms. Covering all genres and styles, and including interviews with women performing today, this is a much-needed corrective to our understanding of the piano—and a timely testament to women’s musical lives.

Susan Tomes is a concert pianist and writer. Renowned both as a soloist and as the pianist of Domus and the Florestan Trio, she is the author of seven books, including Speaking the Piano, Beyond the Notes, and The Piano: A History in 100 Pieces.