Is there a person in your life who loves classical music? For me, that person is my dad. He instilled my love for classical music in me! Today I want to show you my top choices for gifts for classical music lovers (in a variety of different categories!
Now, before we start, we need to make a quick distinction. There are 2 groups of people who might be interested in classical music gifts:
- a classical musician, who plays classical music
- a person who loves to listen to classical music, but doesn’t necessarily play it
Some classical music gifts will be the same across both of these categories. But some of them will not!
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What do you get a classical musician for Christmas?
Let’s first talk about gifts for a classical musician. (We’ll get to specific gift ideas soon, but I want to start broader).
Here are some ideas for classical MUSICIANS:
- classical sheet music books
- tools to help their practice, like a metronome
- classical music history books/documentaries
- funny classical “novelty” gifts
What do you get someone who loves classical music?
On the other hand, we have people who love to listen to classical music even though they don’t play an instrument themselves. In this case, you will likely want to stick to the last 2 bullet points—music history books, or funny novelty gifts.
Related: Top Gifts for Piano Players
What is Considered Classical Music?
One more thing to address is what we are considering to be “classical” music. We’re going to go into a slight history lesson because it is important to understand (especially when buying a gift for a classical musician!)
Many people think of classical music in a broad sense—as a style of instrumental music that encompasses many composers like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, etc.
However, technically, true classical music refers to music written in a very specific time period: 1750-1830.
There are 4 main periods in music history: the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary. Each have specific start and end dates.
So while many people think classical music refers to music written in ALL these time periods, it really only refers to one of them.
Classical Composers
The most well known composer who is TRULY from the classical time period is Mozart. Another lesser known classical composer is Hayden.
Technically, Bach is from the Baroque period. And Beethoven can be considered both classical AND romantic.
See what I’m getting at here? Many people think Bach is from the classical period, but he is really NOT.
Now, if you thought that too, there is nothing wrong with that! It is a very common misconception, and that’s exactly why I wanted to bring it up.
So here’s what I recommend:
Make sure you know which composers your musical friends really like before buying a gift. ‘Classical’ doesn’t necessarily refer to all of them. It is a better idea to go based on composer.
For the sake of this post and the BROAD sense of classical music, we will go ahead and talk about gifts around composers from a variety of musical periods, including Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven.
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Top Gift Idea: Concert Tickets
A gift that is SURE to be appreciated by a classical music lover is tickets to a concert. Of course, you need to make sure you really know this person to make sure you choose a concert they’ll love.
But most people who love classical music will be excited to go to either an orchestra concert, or a piano solo concert (or a mix of both!) I bet they would like it even more if you were willing to go with them too. 😉
Gifts for Bach Lovers
Now, let’s get into some more specific categories of gifts! We’ll start with Bach. Even though he isn’t technically from the Classical Era, his music is beloved among people who appreciate classical music.
Bach Book
First of all, one great idea is a book about Bach’s life! Learning more about a composer always helps when playing or listening to their music. You can really start to understand where they were coming from.
Bach Poster
Another idea is to buy something like this Bach Poster. This poster could make great decor in a music room, for example, or even a bedroom (if they REALLY like Bach!) It is a canvas print that measures 12″ by 18″.
Bach Mug
If your music lover likes humorous gifts, you could get them this “Bach Bach Mug!” Be careful with this though—you need a person with the right sense of humor for this gift. Don’t get it if they would find something like this disrespecful.
Bach T-Shirt
Another great idea is this T-Shirt, featuring lots of things that Bach did during his lifetime. Bach had quite a lot of accomplishments! Can you believe he had 20 children…and wrote over 1100 compositions at the same time?!
Mozart Gifts
Now let’s move onto Mozart: a true composer from the classical time period! Mozart composed incredible works. It is a shame he died at such a young age.
Mozart Sweatshirt
First up, we have a cool-looking sweatshirt with Mozart featured right on the front! This sweatshirt looks super comfy, perfect for a day home or even a day out where you want to showcase your love for classical music. It has a classic fit and is made from cotton and polyester.
Mozart Quote Poster
One of Mozart’s favorites quotes is that “the music is not in the notes, but in the silence in between.” This poster showcases that idea beautifully! It measure 8″ by 10″ (does not come with a frame). Mozart lovers will enjoy hanging this in their music room or bedroom.
Mozart Chocolates
This gift was so funny to me I just had to include it! You can combine your love of chocolate and love of Mozart into one gift with these candies. Reviewers have said that “if Mozart’s music was edible, it would taste like this!” The chocolates come wrapped in mozart-themed wrappers.
Mozart Sonatas
If your Mozart-lover is an advanced pianist, there is no better gift than a book of Mozart’s Sonatas! This book includes 19 amazing sonatas. Schirmer’s is a well known music publisher. I have a variety of their books and they are always great.
Beethoven Gifts
Next, let’s look at some gifts for Beethoven lovers! As I mentioned earlier, Beethoven’s music encompasses both the classical period and the romantic period. He is quite the beloved composer, that’s for sure.
Engraved Beethoven Pen
First of all, this stylish pen is perfect for someone who loves Beethoven’s music. It is sleek and beautiful, and even includes one of Beethoven’s quotes on it: “music is a higher revelation than all wisdom.”
Sonata Book
Next up, the Beethoven Sonatas are a must. Beethoven wrote MANY piano sonatas, and this book is a complete compilation of them all! It comes with a nice heavy binding because you’ll definitely need it with so many pieces in one book. Note: make sure to only buy a gift like this for an advanced pianist, not a beginner.
Beethoven Mug
This mug features one of my favorite quotes from Beethoven. It is so true. The measure of music is not in the mistakes you make, but in the way you play. Passion goes a long way! This mug is perfect for passionate musicians who also like Beethoven.
Beethoven Biography
There is a lot to learn about Beethoven’s life. He is one of the most remarkable composers since he went deaf at the age of 44—but continued to compose and perform! This is only one of the things you’ll learn about in this biography. I am sure there are even more fascinating facts that a Beethoven lover would be curious to know.
Beethoven Tie
If you need a tie featuring Beethoven, this is the one to get! LOL. This tie is quite the luxury item, made from 100% silk material and hand-finished in New York City.
Gifts for Orchestra Lovers
Classical music is not limited to one instrument—a huge part of it is orchestra music! If you need a gfit for someone who plays in an orchestra (or who loves orchestra music) read on!
Orchestra Puzzle
This puzzle is SO cool! It features all the instruments of the orchestra in an 1,000 piece puzzle. It includes the piano, cello, violin, trombone, harp, viola, clarinet, and many more instruments. I love this because it is great for people who play a variety of musical instruments (so long as they like puzzles too!)
Violin T-Shirt
One of the most popular orchestra instrumetns is the violin. If your music-lover is a violinist, this would be a great t-shirt to buy! It comes in mens, womens, and youth sizes which is a huge plus in my book.
Orchestra Stickers
If the orchestra-lover in your life is a journaller, these stickers could make a great gift! They are perfect for decorating a journal. They could also be given to a child who is an aspiring orchestra player. You can teach them the names of all the instruments easily!
Orchestra Mug
Up next is a mug with a GREAT saying on it: Life without orchestra would Bb! This is kind of like an inside joke that only musicians will understand. Anyone who knows music theory and plays in an orchestra is sure to love this mug.
Alto Clef T-Shirt
This one is for all the champions that play from the Alto Clef! If you aren’t familiar with music theory, the alto clef is a specific way of writing music that is mainly used for two instruments: viola, and alto trombone. Don’t buy this t-shirt if your music-lover plays violin or piano—they’ll likely hate it!
Orchestra Soundtrack
This one is great for those who both play and listen to classical music: a soundtrack of the great classical masterpieces! These masterpieces are played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, which is quite famous.
More Classical Music Gifts
Lastly, let’s look at a few more gifts that didn’t work in any of the above categories (but are still just as cool!)
Wittner Metronome
This metronome is a beautiful, luxury gift for a classical musician. While on the expensive side, it is sure to be appreciate by the serious musician. It is made from real, mahogany brown wood and is known for it’s high quality finish.
The Classic FM Puzzle Book
For those who like words, puzzles, and classical music…meet the Classic FM Puzzle Book! Have you ever played word games and been bad at them because you don’t know the topics very well? This won’t be the case with this puzzle book! The topics are totally centered around classical music.
Haydn Sonatas
Since Haydn is another true classical composer, I thought it was worth it to include a book of his pieces! Haydn is lesser known in terms of fame—underappreciated in many ways. This could give your classical pianist something new to work on other than the typical composers!
Music Cookie Cutters
Do you have a music celebration or graduation coming up? These cookie cutters would be such an awesome way to help celebrate! You can make piano, violin, guitar, or music note cookies. Either buy these cookie cutters FOR the classical music lover…or make them cookies with them and give them that as a gift!
Sheet Music Notebook
Last, but definitely not least, check out this nice Sheet Music Notebook. This is great for classical music lovers who also like to write out their very own scores. It can be hard to find sheet music, and this book is perfect because it has metal binding so it will stay open on a music stand or piano!
Conclusion
There are so many wonderful things you can buy for the classical music lover in your life. Soundtracks, concert tickets, and novelty gifts are always great ideas! Make sure you know the person you’re buying for (if you know their favorite composer that will help a lot!) In the end, you’re sure to end up with a gift they’ll appreciate and use for a long time.