[Piano Recital] Perfect Pieces for Middle Schoolers! A Curated Selection of Impressive, Audience-Pleasing Works
Even children who didn’t care much about choosing pieces for recitals in elementary school often start longing for dazzling works the moment they become junior high students, saying, “I want to try playing this!” Performances by older students and adults heard at past recitals may have left a strong impression, and some students might be eager, thinking, “Someday I’ll perform a piece that sounds this impressive.” So here, we’ll introduce pieces that are perfect for junior high schoolers to showcase at a piano recital—works that really make an impact.
As children enter junior high, they grow both mentally and physically, and their musical tastes may change from what they liked in elementary school.
Let’s choose pieces that are just right for them and boost their motivation to sit down at the piano even more!
Playlist
| [Piano Recital] Perfect Pieces for Middle Schoolers! A Curated Selection of Impressive, Audience-Pleasing Works | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1 | Prelude in G minor, Op. 23 No. 5Sergei Rakhmaninov |  play_arrow | Composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1901… |
| 2 | Play of WaterMaurice Ravel |  play_arrow | Maurice Ravel’s Jeux d’eau is a 19… |
| 3 | Liebesträume No. 3Franz Liszt |  play_arrow | The composer Fra—known for having many difficult pieces... |
| 4 | Piano Sonata No. 16, K. 545, First MovementWolfgang Amadeus Mozart |  play_arrow | Composed by the master of classical music, Mozart... |
| 5 | Carnival Jest from Vienna, Op. 26 No. 1 “Allegro”Robert Schumann |  play_arrow | Robert Schumann’s “Carnival of Vienna… |
| 6 | Piano Sonata No. 11, K. 331, Movement III “Turkish March”Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |  play_arrow | One of the masterpieces left by the genius composer Mozart... |
| 7 | Piano Sonata No. 20, Op. 49 No. 2, First MovementLudwig van Beethoven |  play_arrow | Beet..., a composer who shines in the history of classical music, |
| 8 | Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. posth. 66 “Fantaisie-Impromptu”Frederic Chopin |  play_arrow | Among Frederic Chopin’s works, often... |
| 9 | Suite bergamasque, No. 3: Clair de LuneClaude Debussy |  play_arrow | Among the works of Claude Debussy, ... |
| 10 | Waltz No. 6 in D-flat major, Op. 64 No. 1 “Minute Waltz”Frederic Chopin |  play_arrow | Frédéric Chopin’s Waltz No. 6… |
| 11 | Fantasy Pieces: Flight, Op. 12 No. 2Robert Schumann |  play_arrow | Robert Schumann’s masterpiece, “Fantasiestücke …” |
| 12 | Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79 No. 1Johannes Brahms |  play_arrow | Composed by Johannes Brahms in 1879... |
| 13 | small black personClaude Debussy |  play_arrow | French composer Claude Debussy… |
| 14 | Arabesque in C major, Op. 18Robert Schumann |  play_arrow | Roberto, who combines elegance with a wealth of expression… |
| 15 | ToccataAram Khachaturian |  play_arrow | In 1932, while still a student at the Moscow Conservatory... |
| 16 | Midnight Fire FestivalHirayoshi Takeshu |  play_arrow | Takeshi Hira-yoshi, known as a master of piano pieces… |
| 17 | Impromptu No. 1 in A-flat major, Op. 29Frederic Chopin |  play_arrow | Frédéric Chopin’s Impromptu No. 1… |
| 18 | Impromptu, Op. 90 No. 2Franz Schubert |  play_arrow | The great master of Romantic music, Franz Schuber... |
| 19 | Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56Bartók Béla |  play_arrow | Born in the Kingdom of Hungary, a composer and pianis… |
| 20 | Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 “Pathétique,” First MovementLudwig van Beethoven |  play_arrow | One of the greatest composers in the history of classical music… |
| 21 | Etude Op. 25, No. 1 “Aeolian Harp”Frederic Chopin |  play_arrow | Frédéric Chopin’s famous étude “Étud… |
| 22 | Waltz EtudeWilliam Gillock |  play_arrow | The enchanting melody of a glamorous waltz |
| 23 | Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3Franz Schubert |  play_arrow | Franz Schubert, known for his elegant melodies, ... |
| 24 | Piano Sonata No. 8 “Pathétique,” 3rd movementLudwig van Beethoven |  play_arrow | The allure of powerful, passionate music |
| 25 | Fantasia in F-sharp minor, Op. 28 “Scottish Sonata”Felix Mendelssohn |  play_arrow | A great figure who has garnered popularity with a fantastical musical style… |
| 26 | Fantasy Pieces: Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3 No. 2 “The Bell”Sergei Rakhmaninov |  play_arrow | A Russian composer who was extremely active in the 1890s, ... |
| 27 | Invention No. 8, BWV 779J.S.Bach |  play_arrow | A lively, upbeat piece perfect for improving your technique. |
| 28 | Maiden’s PrayerTekla Bądarzewska-Baranowska |  play_arrow | The beautiful melody of Maiden’s Prayer |
| 29 | Prelude, No. 1 from Eight Concert EtudesNikolai Kapustin |  play_arrow | A masterpiece that fuses classical music and jazz |
| 30 | Fantasia “Sakura Sakura”Hirai Kōsaburō |  play_arrow | Beautifully blending Japanese traditional aesthetics with classical elements... |
| 31 | Brilliant WaltzGlenda Austin |  play_arrow | An elegant composition that fuses waltz and jazz |
| 32 | Fantaisie-ImpromptuFrederic Chopin |  play_arrow | Impressive for its passion and beauty in Chopin’s works |
| 33 | Lyric Pieces, Book VIII, Op. 65, No. 6: “Wedding Day at Troldhaugen”Edvard Hagerup Grieg |  play_arrow | Edvard Grieg’s masterpiece Lyric Pieces... |
| 34 | Fantasia in D minor, K. 397Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |  play_arrow | An evocative, melancholic melody makes a strong impression in Wolfgang… |
| 35 | Turkish RondoJohann Burgmüller |  play_arrow | A brilliant modulation piece from A minor to A major |
| 36 | Children’s Album, Volume 1: “Album of My Boyhood,” No. 5: EtudeAram Khachaturian |  play_arrow | A lively piano piece of Armenian traditional music |
| 37 | Midnight Fire FestivalHirayoshi Takeshu |  play_arrow | Kiyosu Hirayoshi’s dynamic solo piano piece |
| 38 | Fountain of Stars from ‘Constellations of Sound’Yuyama Akira |  play_arrow | One of Japan’s leading composers, Akira Yuyama’s… |
| 39 | Dance and SongNakata Yoshinao |  play_arrow | A lively piano piece depicting a summer night |
| 40 | Arabesque of WavesMiyoshi Akira |  play_arrow | An Introduction to the Elegant Piano Miniatures of Akira Miyoshi |
| 41 | Burgmüller 25 Progressive Pieces, Op. 100 No. 2 “The Hunt”Johann Burgmüller |  play_arrow | A brilliant march inspired by Islamic art |
| 42 | severe thunderstormJohann Burgmüller |  play_arrow | Burgmüller storm depiction piano piece |
| 43 | Tarantella, Op. 77 No. 6Moritz Moszkowski |  play_arrow | Dazzling and energetic enough to wake you up... |
| 44 | Études “30 Pieces for Children, Op. 27” No. 3Dmitri Kabalevsky |  play_arrow | A charming masterpiece in the style of a Russian folk song, a short piano piece for children |
| 45 | Sonatina Op. 13-1, First MovementDimitri Kabalevsky |  play_arrow | You can hone your performance technique with a bright three-movement musical piece |
| 46 | Masquerade Ball ‘Waltz’Aram Khachaturian |  play_arrow | Waltz. Used in a movie and the Olympics. |
| 47 | Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15, No. 7: DreamingRobert Schumann |  play_arrow | Robert Schumann’s “Kinderszenen” (Scenes from Childhood) is … |
| 48 | Children’s Corner No. 1: “Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum”Claude Debussy |  play_arrow | A lively piano miniature dedicated to Debussy’s beloved daughter |
| 49 | Sonatina in F major, First MovementAnton Diabelli |  play_arrow | A masterpiece with an elegant, radiant melody |
| 50 | Piano Sonata K. 545, 1st MovementWolfgang Amadeus Mozart |  play_arrow | The Appeal and Techniques of Mozart’s Famous Piano Pieces |
| 51 | Children’s Album, Volume 1, “Picture Book of Boyhood”: No. 7, Hobbyhorse (Cavalry)Aram Khachaturian |  play_arrow | A dynamic piano miniature that expresses a child's playful spirit |
| 52 | Final Fantasy VII Piano Collections “One-Winged Angel”Uematsu Nobuo |  play_arrow | Piano masterpiece of the Sephiroth battle theme |
| 53 | Turkish MarchWolfgang Amadeus Mozart |  play_arrow | Mozart's Turkish March. For a recital. |
| 54 | Symphonia No. 1 in C majorJ.S.Bach |  play_arrow | A children’s piano piece from 1720 characterized by counterpoint |
| 55 | SummerHisaishi Joe |  play_arrow | The Appeal and Characteristics of the Piano Pieces from Kikujiro’s Summer |
| 56 | Third movement from Sonatina, Op. 36 No. 1Muzio Clementi |  play_arrow | Lively three movements, virtuosic and captivating |
| 57 | Howl’s Moving Castle ‘Merry-Go-Round of Life’Hisaishi Joe |  play_arrow | The theme song of Howl’s Moving Castle is captivating. |
| 58 | Sonatina, 3rd MovementWilliam Gillock |  play_arrow | An appealing sonata piece infused with a modern sensibility |
| 59 | Für EliseLudwig van Beethoven |  play_arrow | Challenge yourself with emotional expression in Beethoven's masterpieces |