Silly question, but really, if someone is doing 3 short pieces by the same composer, do I write:

Minuet
folk song
gavotte................................. Beethoven

Or:
Minuet..........................Beethoven
Folk Song.....................Beethoven
Gavotte.........................Beethoven

Or:
Minuet...................Beethoven
Folk Song
Gavotte

I assumed the first was right, but it doesn't look right! Any other ideas?

I'm not sure, but I would disagree: I would say NOT the first one, but maybe the second or third.

Of the options you gave, I personally would go for:

Minuet (followed by blank space) Beethoven
Folk Song
Gavotte

that is, without the dots. The dots seem to be what makes option 1 and 3 look odd, IMO. They link only one of the pieces to Beethoven and you might be left wondering about the other two. If you can't live without dots, I'd go for option 2.

If you leave out the dots, then the PW program zips the word Beethoven beside the Minuet. It doesn't recognize the space bar apparently. (I just checked).

That's why I put the (followed by blank space), but I didn't realise that Carol probably put the dots for the same reason!

If you don't mind a suggestion I think I would consider limiting it to the Minuet and Gavotte and remove the folk song since 2 are dance forms, and the is folk song. I don't know which pieces you are working with because they are generic names, but the sound of them together needs to work, not only the fact that they are by Beethoven.

And I like your 3rd example with the order of the slowest piece first moving to a faster piece, with the fastest or more rhythmically interesting being the 3rd piece. Something that produces enthusiastic applause for this performer.

Just to be clear, the order of pieces is the same in all three examples - it was the format of printing Carol was asking about.

The third is what I've seen most often, but I've seen the second as well.

Right - these aren't the pieces or the composer, I was just asking about formatting. I realized that what makes the format look wrong is that this girl is playing another piece, after the first three, by another composer, so if I write it the third way, you can't really tell who the composer is. Ah - maybe if I put a space between them. Anyway, recital is in 3 hours, lots to do!
Thanks for your thoughts.

Carol, I'm not sure I'm answering your question, but when I do programs, which I do for my studio's recital and for our chapters group recitals, I always attribute a composer/arranger to each and every piece. They're entitled to that.

Also, in my feeble attempt to educate the public at large, I always add opus numbers (or WoO, BWV Anh, etc.)

I agree with John. Include any references you can, and attribute each separate piece to the composer, unless all three are movements of a larger work, in which case just use the title of the larger work, or some similar layout.