For 2nd Grade Elementary School Students: Must-Play Pieces for Piano Recitals! Recommended Masterpieces & Famous Songs
Choosing pieces for a piano recital can be a real challenge for teachers, students, and parents alike.
“I want to play a piece I love, but is it too hard?” “I don’t have a specific piece I want to play, but if I don’t like it, I won’t be motivated to practice!” With situations like these, selecting a piece often becomes difficult.
In this article, we’ve picked out the best recommendations—balanced for character and level—for a piano recital featuring children around the second grade of elementary school.
If you’re struggling to choose a recital piece, we hope this helps!
Playlist
| For 2nd Grade Elementary School Students: Must-Play Pieces for Piano Recitals! Recommended Masterpieces & Famous Songs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1 | clownDimitri Kabalevsky |  play_arrow | A modern-era figure who released many songs for children into the world... |
| 2 | CanonJohann Pachelbel |  play_arrow | The representative work of the German composer Johann Pachelbel… |
| 3 | magicianWilliam Gillock |  play_arrow | William Gillock’s “The Magician” is light and... |
| 4 | TarantellaWilliam Gillock |  | The 'Tarantella' left by William Gillock... |
| 5 | Impromptu of the WindNakata Yoshinao |  play_arrow | A melody like a refreshing, free wind |
| 6 | glass slipperWilliam Gillock |  play_arrow | William Gillock’s “The Glass Slippers” is... |
| 7 | Sonatina No. 1, Op. 20-1, First MovementFriedrich Kuhlau |  play_arrow | This work, which Kuhlau published in 1820, is… |
| 8 | Dance and SongNakata Yoshinao |  play_arrow | An enchanting piano solo piece with a Japanese-style rhythm |
| 9 | Carnival BallWilliam Gillock |  play_arrow | The W… who brought innovation to the field of music education in the United States |
| 10 | Friend MozartYukawa Akira |  play_arrow | A composer who left behind a large number of piano pieces for children... |
| 11 | Merry-Go-Round of LifeHisaishi Joe |  | Joe Hisaishi’s composition “Merry-Go-Round of Life…” |
| 12 | ToccatinaDimitri Kabalevsky |  play_arrow | It's a lively, rhythmic piece that's a joy to listen to... |
| 13 | Piano Sonata No. 16, K. 545, First MovementWolfgang Amadeus Mozart |  play_arrow | Leaving a brilliant legacy in the world of classical music… |
| 14 | Sonatina No. 1 in C major, Op. 20 No. 1 – I. MovementFriedrich Kuhlau |  play_arrow | Over 200 works across a wide range of genres... |
| 15 | Fountain of Stars from ‘Constellations of Sound’Yuyama Akira |  play_arrow | A beautiful piano piece that captivates children |
| 16 | Children’s Album – 24 Easy Pieces, Op. 39: No. 8 “Waltz”Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky |  play_arrow | Frequently seen at piano recitals featuring elementary school children and preschoolers... |
| 17 | castanetWilliam Gillock |  play_arrow | A highly impactful opening that starts with a succession of chords, and... |
| 18 | “Baumkuchen” from “The World of Sweets”Yuyama Akira |  play_arrow | Honing expressive skills with Baumkuchen |
| 19 | Babayaga Op. 39-20Pyotr Tchaikovsky |  play_arrow | Devoted to nurturing the precious hearts of children through music… |
| 20 | From Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Movement 1Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |  play_arrow | The string se… that Mozart composed in 1787 |
| 21 | Indian DanceAlfred Cortot |  play_arrow | The French composer who was active as a pianist… |
| 22 | Children’s Concert Op. 210, No. 7 “Hunting Song”Cornelius Gurlitt |  play_arrow | Corneli, brimming with childlike cuteness… |
| 23 | Children’s Music Concert, Op. 210: No. 15 “Little Romance”Cornelius Gurlitt |  play_arrow | A cute sound as if flowing from a music box... |
| 24 | Midnight Fire FestivalHirayoshi Takeshu |  play_arrow | A passionate track that drives forward with force, propelled by a distinctive rhythm |
| 25 | Ghost footprintsWilliam Gillock |  play_arrow | Composition of an educational piano work representative of the 20th century... |
| 26 | 25 Etudes, Op. 100 No. 2 “Arabesque”Johann Burgmüller |  play_arrow | Even if you call it a staple collection for piano learners... |
| 27 | Small WorldThe Sherman Brothers |  play_arrow | Disney's attraction “It’s a Small World”… |
| 28 | Album for the Young, Op. 68: No. 2 “Soldiers’ March”Robert Schumann |  play_arrow | This piece was composed by Robert Schumann at the age of 18… |
| 29 | Carrying YouHisaishi Joe |  play_arrow | Having been in charge of the music for Ghibli works for many years… |
| 30 | Detective Conan Main ThemeŌno Katsuo |  play_arrow | Katsuo Ōno is the main composer for Detective Conan... |
| 31 | My Neighbor TotoroHisaishi Joe |  play_arrow | Joe Hisaishi, a composer who represents contemporary Japan, has… |
| 32 | Cute AugustineDoitsu min’yō |  play_arrow | This folk song, born in 17th-century Vienna, … |
| 33 | On the Bridge of Avignonfuransu min’yō |  play_arrow | French folk ... symbolizing France’s rich culture |
| 34 | Heaven and HellJacques Offenbach |  | Jacques Offenbach, a 19th-century French composer... |
| 35 | SumireStreabbog |  play_arrow | The 183… who left behind more than 1,200 piano pieces |
| 36 | Für EliseLudwig van Beethoven |  play_arrow | Challenge yourself with emotional expression in Beethoven's masterpieces |
| 37 | golden starStreabbog |  play_arrow | The Romanti… who was active in Belgium in the 19th century |
| 38 | The ClownsWilliam Gillock |  play_arrow | The American who left many piano works for children... |
| 39 | Minuet in G majorChristian Petzold |  play_arrow | For many years, the composer who represents the Baroque era… |
| 40 | strollHisaishi Joe |  play_arrow | The Studio Ghibli film released in 1988, “My Neighbor… |
| 41 | Turkish MarchWolfgang Amadeus Mozart |  play_arrow | Mozart's Turkish March. For a recital. |
| 42 | Brave SoldierCornelius Gurlitt |  play_arrow | A powerful march that stirs a boy’s heart |
| 43 | He is the pirate.Klaus Badelt/Hans Zimmer |  play_arrow | This piece, composed by Klaus Badelt, is… |
| 44 | Six Pieces for Children (Christmas Album), Op. 72: No. 2 in E-flat major, Andante sostenuto, MWV U 170Felix Mendelssohn |  play_arrow | Mendelssohn’s heartwarming piano piece |
| 45 | severe thunderstormJohann Burgmüller |  play_arrow | Burgmüller storm depiction piano piece |
| 46 | Arabesque of WavesMiyoshi Akira |  play_arrow | An Introduction to the Elegant Piano Miniatures of Akira Miyoshi |
| 47 | Doll’s Dream and AwakeningTheodor Oesten |  play_arrow | A piece that expresses a story from dream to awakening |
| 48 | Piano Sonata K. 545, 1st MovementWolfgang Amadeus Mozart |  play_arrow | The Appeal and Techniques of Mozart’s Famous Piano Pieces |
| 49 | Children’s Notebook (Seven Piano Pieces), A Pleasant Story, Op. 69-4Dmitry Shostakovich |  play_arrow | Dmitri Shostakovich loves... |
| 50 | Fantasia “Sakura Sakura”Hirai Kōsaburō |  play_arrow | A piano piece depicting scenes of cherry blossoms |
| 51 | Aeolian harpWilliam Gillock |  play_arrow | Piano pieces to cultivate expressiveness in Gillock’s works |
| 52 | speed carNakata Yoshinao |  play_arrow | Piano practice pieces that help you learn a sense of rhythm and expressiveness |
| 53 | scramble crossinghashimoto kouichi |  play_arrow | A dynamic piece that expresses the hustle and bustle of the city through irregular time signatures |
| 54 | Wiener MarchCarl Czerny |  play_arrow | Charming piano pieces of Austria |
| 55 | Turkish MarchLudwig van Beethoven |  play_arrow | I can see soldiers from a distant land marching toward us… |
| 56 | Dance of the SwineherdBartók Béla |  play_arrow | An enchanting piece of Hungarian folk dance music |
| 57 | Maiden’s PrayerTekla Bądarzewska-Baranowska |  play_arrow | The beautiful melody of Maiden’s Prayer |
| 58 | Boys’ Merry-Go-RoundNiels Wilhelm Gade |  play_arrow | A lively and beautiful piano piece for children |
| 59 | pirateRoger Grove |  play_arrow | An up-tempo book with a pirate adventure theme… |
| 60 | Indian danceWilliam Gillock |  play_arrow | Powerful music with Indigenous rhythms, brimming with dynamism |
| 61 | Chase the mysteryJuhara Ryoko |  play_arrow | A thrilling musical work with a sense of storytelling |
| 62 | Howl’s Moving Castle ‘Merry-Go-Round of Life’Hisaishi Joe |  play_arrow | The theme song of Howl’s Moving Castle is captivating. |