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[Piano Pieces for Young Children] Perfect for Recitals! A Curated Selection of Brilliant, Showy Favorites
A piano recital is a valuable opportunity to showcase the results of daily practice to friends and family!
Many children look forward to participating in recitals as they attend their piano lessons.
In this article, we’ve carefully selected brilliant pieces from the repertoire for young children that are perfect for recital performances.
Since recitals are special occasions, we also recommend trying pieces with a different feel from the ones in your usual textbooks, or even taking on slightly more challenging works.
If you’re a piano teacher or a parent struggling with repertoire selection, we hope you’ll find this helpful.
[Piano Pieces for Young Children] Perfect for Recitals! A Curated Selection of Brilliant Recommended Works (1–10)
glass slipperWilliam Gillock
William Gillock, a composer renowned for his beautiful melodic sense to the point of being called the Schubert of music education.
His style is characterized by drawing out a piece’s charm through rich expression without relying on advanced technique.
For that reason, Gillock’s works often appear as assignments for beginners.
Among them, Glass Slippers is a popular piece frequently performed at recitals.
It has a light, cheerful atmosphere that’s perfect for getting used to triple meter.
It’s also recommended to try this piece before tackling a full-fledged waltz.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Starfuransu min’yō
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is included in a variety of piano method books for children and has become a staple piece for recitals.
Since many children are already familiar with singing it in kindergarten or nursery school, it’s easier to tackle than a completely unfamiliar song.
Solo performances are of course lovely, but if you’d like to make a recital performance more dazzling, we recommend a duet with a parent or teacher! A parent-child duet will be a memorable and valuable experience for both the parent and the child.
We encourage you to give it a try!
Children’s Music Concert, Op. 210: No. 15 “Little Romance”Cornelius Gurlitt
Cornelius Gurlitt’s “Little Romance” is notable for its charming, music-box-like melody.
It’s included in many beginner-level piano collections and is also a popular choice for recitals.
Because it’s built from gentle broken chords and a simple single-line melody, even children who have only recently started learning piano should find it approachable.
To perform it more beautifully in a recital hall, aim to play with careful attention to the balance between the right and left hands.
Waltz of the FlowersPyotr Tchaikovsky
When it comes to the ballet music The Nutcracker, it’s such a classical masterpiece that hardly anyone hasn’t heard of it! In addition to a concert suite arranged by Pyotr Tchaikovsky himself, it is performed in a variety of instruments and ensembles, including piano solo and four hands.
In particular, the charming and approachable Waltz of the Flowers is widely loved, adopted in children’s teaching materials, and popular as a recital piece.
The triple meter may seem simple, but it can be tricky to get the hang of.
Try creative practice methods—such as feeling the beat with hand claps—and shape it into a light, graceful waltz.
The Skaters’ WaltzÉmile Waldteufel
The Skaters’ Waltz, sure to capture attention at any preschool piano recital, is a waltz composed in the 19th century by French musician Émile Waldteufel.
Its light, lilting triple meter and rhythmic melody evoke skaters gliding gracefully across the ice, drawing listeners into its charm.
When performing, aim for smooth, gliding fingerwork to convey an elegant, captivating beauty—perfect for becoming a highlight of the recital.
It’s a highly recommended piece for teachers seeking repertoire for children learning piano, and well worth taking on.
Mickey Mouse MarchJimmie Dodd
For those looking for a fun piece to practice for a recital, we recommend “Mickey Mouse March,” a song loved by children.
This piece captures the delightful world of the famous animated character through music, featuring a friendly, memorable melody.
Composed by Jimmie Dodd, it is simple yet charming.
Even beginners can play it within a single octave, making practice both accessible and enjoyable.
It’s also an excellent piece for developing a sense of rhythm.
We also recommend trying ideas that make your recital performance shine even more, such as attempting a parent-child duet.
marchDmitri Shostakovich
Shostakovich was a composer active in the Soviet Union during the 20th century.
Exceptionally talented both as a pianist and as a composer, he firmly established his reputation as one of the greatest classical music composers of the 20th century.
This piece is No.
1 from Children’s Notebook and evokes soldiers marching without bending their knees.
Aside from the slurs indicated by the composer, it is preferable to play non-legato; however, since it depicts a soldiers’ march, be careful not to make it too light.
