We want our students to listen to the best classical music, but let’s face it, most parents just don’t know where to start when it comes to finding good ones that connect with kids. And we have to honest that if parents choose the “wrong” kind of classical music as a first exposure, they can really turn themselves and kids away. So, while this list might seem basic to a piano teacher, it’s super helpful to someone who doesn’t know the classics.
Bring your parents, families, and students here to get some great ideas! Here is a suggested Master Spotify playlist with all of the pieces listed below. And just in case you need it, here’s a suggested CD that has many of these pieces on it as well.
Best Classical Music That’s Relaxing
Here’s a Spotify playlist of just these pieces.
- Air on the G String–J. S. Bach
- Polovtsian Dances Prince Igor–Borodin
- The Four Seasons, spring, summer, winter–Antonio Vivaldi
- Adagio for Strings–Samuel Barber Symphony No. 9, 1st movement–Dvorak
- Romeo and Juliet Fanatasy Overture–Tchaikovsky
- Clair de lune–Debussy
- Nocturnes or Preludes–Chopin
- Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43 (the 18th Variation is everyone’s favorite)– Rachmaninoff
- Gymnopedies (3) for Piano–Eric Satie
- Canon in D–Pachabel
- Peer Gynt Suite: Dawn–Grieg
- Unaccompanied Cello Suites, especially the Prelude to Cello Suite No. 1 in G–Bach
Best Classical Music That’s Exciting
Here’s a Spotify playlist of this exciting music.
- Flight of the Bumblebee Rimsky-Korsakov
- Bolero–Ravel The Barber of Seville, overture–Rossini
- Symphony No. 5 in c minor–Beethoven
- Peer Gynt Suite, No. 1, In the Hall of the Mountain King–Edward Grieg
- Etudes–Chopin
- Piano Concerto in F–Gershwin
- Rhapsody in Blue–Gershwin
- Entry of the Gladiators (Einzug der Gladiatoren)
- March for orchestra, Op. 68— Fucik
- William Tell Overture: Finale – Rossini
- Gayaneh (Sabre Dance) – Aram Khachaturian
- Swan Lake, Op. 20 – Tchaikovsky
- Carmina Burana: O Fortuna – Carl Orff
Best Classical Music That’s Beautiful
(These are and the rest of the categories are included in the master Spotify playlist mentioned above.)
- Piano Concerto – Amy Beach
- Piano Trio, Op. 17 – Clara Schumann
- Piano Trio in A minor – Maurice Ravel
- Lament – Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
Best Classical Music That’s Majestic
- The Planets, Mars–Gustav Holst
- Also Sprach Zarathustra–Richard Strauss
- 1812 Overture (Festival Overture for Orchestra in Eb Major, Op. 49, Finale) – Tchaikovsky
- Fanfare for the Common Man – Aaron Copland
Best Classical Music That’s Entertaining (story-like)
- Carnival of the Animals–Saint-Saens
- Peter and the Wolf–Prokofiev (Here’s a great CD of both Carnival of the Animals and Peter and the Wolf)
- The Cat and the Mouse–Aaron Copland
- Caucasian Sketches (Procession Of The Sardar) – Mikhail Mikhaylovich Ippolitov-Ivanov
Best Classical Music That’s Just Great Just Because
- Water Music (Music for the Royal Fireworks) –G. F. Handel
- Eine kleine Nachtmusik–Mozart
- Symphony No. 40 in G minor: l. Molto Allegro–Mozart
- Concerto for Piano and Orchestra In A Minor Op. 16: Allegro molto moderato –Grieg
- Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je maman” (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star) K. 265—Mozart
If you still buy CDs, here is a boxed CD set from Amazon which has many of these pieces. And here is a Great Classical Music 2018 list of most of these pieces if you want them in printed form.
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I recectly created a listening area in my studio of great piano pieces based on grade levels and divided by era. We look at the printed music as we listen. Students are loving it. I have just about all of these piece in my library but have not added them to the listening list so far. Once we get through some of the major piano works, we will start these as well. Thank you for this list and the great reminder!
Jan Gray, I would be interested in what you have done! Sounds wonderful!
Good List
Thank you for a comprehensive list of classical music for children!
But it’s also possible that with the help of interesting story books or story-telling, children can also be introduced to different styles of classical music. Minimalistic works, such as Philip Glass’ Knee Play from Einstein on the Beach can be a good introduction to contemporary music for children in school or at home.
I’ve been including exposure to great works of music for years in my studio. We have a list of orchestral works that students at different age levels should be able to hear and recognize. Our “Greatest Hits for Piano” program is an ongoing effort to introduce students to a sampling of some of the greatest and most representative works for piano, both solo and concerto.
However, I’m finding more and more of my families don’t have a device to play CDs any more. So I’ve created playlists for them on YouTube and, more recently, on Spotify. It’s an easy way to share music with younger parents and our students, at no cost to them.
That’s so true that many don’t have CD players and this article is definitely older and reflects that change. That’s a great idea to create playlists for them on Youtube and Spotify! Thank you for the suggestion!
Love, love, love it! Thank you!