CAMPBELL, Virginia Franklin

Virginia Franklin Campbell (born 1939) is an American composer, pianist, piano pedagogue, music writer and arts administrator. She graduated from Washington State University in 1961 and developed a nationally recognised career in piano education. In 1988, the Washington State University Alumni Association presented her with its Alumni Achievement Award for her innovation and national distinction in the field of piano pedagogy.
Campbell was professionally active within the Music Teachers National Association and held Nationally Certified Teacher of Music status. During the 1990s, she contributed to the Independent Music Teachers Forum in the journal American Music Teacher, addressing practical and professional matters relating to independent piano teaching.
Her creative work encompasses music and literature. A programme from the 2016 Biennial Music Awards of the National League of American Pen Women documents Campbell performing an original piano composition as a musical tribute accompanying the reading of her poem about Normandy. Although the title and score of this work have not been identified, the performance confirms her activity as a composer of piano music.
Campbell has also played an important role in promoting the work of women in music. A long-standing member of the National League of American Pen Women, she served as music editor of its magazine and later as national president of the organisation. In these positions, she wrote and edited articles about American women composers and musicians and supported scholarships, competitions and educational outreach programmes.
In addition to her musical work, Campbell has published historical writing through Campbell Music Press, including works devoted to the nineteenth-century American sculptor Vinnie Ream. Her career consequently combines composition, piano pedagogy, writing and advocacy for women working professionally in the arts.