Clara Schumann: a star pianist and composer
Clara Schumann was one of the most admired pianists of the 1800s. She performed in concert halls across Europe for more than sixty years, and she also wrote music of her own.
In this lesson
A young star
Clara was born in 1819 in Leipzig, Germany. Her father Friedrich Wieck was a famous piano teacher, and he taught her carefully every day. She gave her first public concert when she was nine, and as a teenager she was already becoming known in many parts of Europe.
Music, family and work
In 1840, Clara married the composer Robert Schumann. They had eight children. Clara kept playing concerts, teaching and composing, and she also played her husband's music for many audiences. After Robert died in 1856, she travelled and worked to take care of her family.
She kept performing until 1891 and died in 1896.
Her music
Clara wrote songs, piano pieces and a piano concerto, which she first played when she was a teenager. Later in life, she wrote less new music, and she wrote that she had little time because of concerts, teaching and her children.
Why she matters
At a time when few women could be professional musicians, Clara built a long career as a pianist. She was also among the first performers to play from memory in public concerts, which helped make this way of playing more common.
Piano sound: Salamander Grand Piano by Alexander Holm (CC BY 3.0).