Before we go on...

The common factor among all the women above is that they came from musical or wealthy families who could offer private teaching for their daughters. The public music studies were the first step to open doors to women. But when coming to 20^th century, unlike instrumental studies, composition classes were still kept closed in most music schools, and the social attitude has changed very slowly.

Charles Wilfrid de Bériot's composition class in Paris Conservatoire, 1894-95

Today there is a growing number of woman composers, not to speak about instrumentalists, even if both fields are still dominated by men. Unfortunately, many women composers still experience the same fears and feelings of insecurity that Clara Schumann experienced more than a centenary ago, caused by a feeling of solitude among men and the prejudice the society has towards them.