Feminist in the Concert Hall
Experiential Orchestra will Record Julia Perry’s Violin Concerto
By Sarah Baer When we think of the future of classical music - of how this tradition will adapt and change for the better in our digital age - ensembles can turn to the Experiential Orchestra as a model for how to move forward. This fabulous ensemble based in New...
Tonight, Boston Landmarks Orchestra concert “Seen-Unseen: The Symphonic Legacy of Black American Women”
Tonight, Boston Landmarks Orchestra presents “Seen-Unseen” -- Wednesday, July 26 at 7:00pm, at Boston’s Hatch Shell on the Charles River. The concert includes the Overture to Shirley Graham’s opera “Tom-Tom,” which was performed in Cleveland in 1932. Dr. Lucy...
Tania León’s Stride: A Review
When considering that the canon of western art music is based in a system of white supremacy and patriarchy, it is a sad truth that most of the music that is presented in classrooms and concert halls is written by dead, white, men. Scholars continue to spend great...
The Programming of BIPOC Composers
By Sarah Baer Our 2023-2024 repertoire report for the top 21 orchestras in the US (as determined by operating budget) is out -- with not-great news about the current state of programming as it relates to works by women and non-binary composers. In this post I’m...
Link Roundup: June 26, 2023
Start the week by catching up with some of the exciting and GOOD news!! San Francisco Opera has staged its first work by a woman composer, El último sueño de Frida y Diego by Gabriela Lena Frank and (librettist) Nilo Cruz. Also the first production of a work in...
2023-2024 Season: By The Numbers
Sarah Baer offers her annual statistical study of the representation of women composers in the top 21 U.S. orchestras; also the representation and role of women conductors is examined. Liane Curtis also offered editorial input to this article. Symphony orchestras...