[Piano Recital] Carefully Selected Masterpieces and Popular Pieces Recommended for 3rd Grade Elementary School Students!

JupiterGustav Holst

[Sheet Music] Jupiter - Holst, Beginner Piano Score

One piece from The Planets, the orchestral suite by Gustav Holst, a leading British composer of the 20th century.

Composed between 1914 and 1917, this work has captivated many with its grandeur and vitality.

Its beautiful melody and rich resonance will make it enjoyable even for third-grade elementary school students to play.

If you usually play on a digital piano, performing on a grand piano will let you feel its wonderful resonance, so a recital is a great opportunity to experience the pleasure of a concert hall and a grand piano.

The tempo is relaxed and there are no difficult rhythms, making it perfect for children who have only recently started learning the piano.

Midnight Fire FestivalHirayoshi Takeshu

[Recommended for Piano Recitals] Midnight Fire Festival ♫ Takeshi Hiraishi / The Midnight Fire Festival, Takekuni Hirayoshi

With its unique rhythm driving it forward with vigor, the passionate atmosphere is so cool! “Midnight Fire Festival” is included in “Rainbow Rhythm,” a piano collection for children composed by Takeshi Yoshinao.

This highly popular piece, often selected as a competition required piece, is perfect for energetic children, evoking a sense of intensity and power! It mixes sections that feel like duple meter with those that feel like triple meter, and the left-hand rests are quite intricate—there are plenty of elements that make it rewarding to practice.

To play it impressively at a recital, start by firmly grasping the rhythm with one hand at a time.

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Arabesque of WavesMiyoshi Akira

Akira Miyoshi: Arabesque of Waves / Shunya Yada (43rd Prizewinner Commemorative Concert, A1 Division [Gold Prize])

This is a work by Japanese composer Akira Miyoshi, featuring an elegant melody that evokes a shimmering water surface.

Included in the 1987 piano miniatures collection “Umi no Nikkichō” (A Sea Diary), the piece—true to its title, which refers to Arabic-style ornamental patterns—conjures scenes of delicate, unceasing motion in sound.

Its deft shifts between G-sharp minor and B major create sonorities that suggest a grown-up, bittersweet poignancy, like a fleeting shadow passing through brightness.

Also selected as a PTNA Competition set piece, it demands restrained pedaling and rich expressiveness, making it a guaranteed showpiece.

It is especially suited for elementary and middle school students who aspire to perform their dream piece with heartfelt expression.

A Small RomanceCornelius Gurlitt

[Recommended for Piano Recitals] Little Romance ♫ Gurlitt / Kleine Romanze Op.210-15, Gurlitt

A sweet piece from Cornelius Gurlitt, a leading 19th-century German composer.

While strongly reflecting the characteristics of the Romantic era, it also incorporates educational elements.

Set at a gentle Andantino tempo, it is filled with a tenderness that feels like the budding of a small romance.

The right-hand melody resonates softly, delicately supported by the left-hand accompaniment.

Though simple, the piece has rich expressive potential, making it perfect for nurturing the sensibilities of young piano students.

It is also ideal for recitals and will warmly embrace the hearts of listeners.

Waltz, Op. 38 No. 8Muzio Clementi

Clementi / Waltz Op. 38 No. 8 — Twelve Waltzes for Pianoforte, Tambourine, and Triangle

Muzio Clementi, who was active from the late 18th to the early 19th century.

This piece is one of the works from his collection “12 Waltzes,” published in 1798.

It features a lively rhythm and brilliant piano melodies; while it carries the atmosphere of social dance, its beauty as classical music stands out.

It’s perfect for children looking for a bright and cheerful piece.

This number lets you enjoy both Clementi’s virtuosic elements and the charm of dance music at the same time.

To keep the right-hand scales from stumbling, start at a slow tempo and practice with careful attention to each finger.

ButterflyHenri Van Gael

Butterflies [Recommended piece for recitals] Gael – Les papillons – H.V. Gael – CANACANA

A graceful miniature by the Belgian composer Henri Van Gael, who was active from the late 19th to the early 20th century.

Depicting butterflies in flight through music, this piece is characterized by its light, approachable melody.

Structured in two sections that shift from A minor in the first half to A major in the second, it delicately portrays the fragility and beauty of butterflies.

Born in 1846, Van Gael left around 200 works over his lifetime.

Known as a staple often performed at piano recitals, its elegant melody is popular among women and young pianists.

Because it calls for richly expressive playing, it’s an ideal piece not only for improving technique but also for developing expressive ability in children.

Sonatina No. 1 in C major, Op. 20 No. 1 – I. MovementFriedrich Kuhlau

Sonatina No. 1, 1st Movement, Op. 20-1 / Kuhlau / Piano / Sonatina No. 1 in C major, Op. 20-1 / Kuhlau / Piano / CANACANA

Sonatina No.

1 in C major, Op.

20-1 by the German composer Friedrich Kuhlau—who left over 200 works across a wide range of genres—is cherished as both a study piece and a recital piece for its clear structure and beautiful melodies.

The work is also known for its opening, which resembles Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Sonata No.

16 in C major, K.

545.

Its friendly melody and character make it perfect for a third-grade student who wants to fully enjoy performing on a recital stage! While practicing with a metronome to maintain accurate tempo and rhythm, be sure to pay attention to dynamics and expressive markings to aim for a performance rich in nuance.