News and music to start your week! The Philadelphia Orchestra made a stir in the Spring with their season announcement, and lack of diversity among composers. They walked much of that back with the addition of two (rather small) works by women to the concert season, and promised a score reading of works by six different women. The score reading happened last week, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer. The evening brought many surprises – like an announcement that each of the six composers whose works were being heard would receive a commission from The Philadelphia Orchestra; Gabriela Lena Frank was named composer-in-residence through 2021; and more than half of the concerts in the 2019-2020 season will feature a work by a woman. Not bad progress, Philly! You can read the official press release here. After the ruckus raised – and results seen – with The Philadelphia Orchestra, other metropolitan areas are questioning the artistic choices made by their own ensembles. The Mercury News considers where the women composers and conductors are in the San Francisco Bay Area this season. They include a great breakdown of where you can see works by women, and women conductors, throughout the Bay area. Among the composers that will be commissioned is Valerie Coleman – who is also a flutist and member of Imani Winds. Learn more about her, and listen in, here. The Strad’s Peter Somerford considers why women composers are still not included in concert programming – is is a matter of enough women composers compared to men, or does public opinion need to change? Though they don’t consider all of the factors at work, it is an article still worth considering. And — in honor of our 10th anniversary, we’re remodeling our website! Time for a change! Meanwhile, our Performance Grant Application is available! Help us spread the word! And let us know about any news stories — or exciting performances — we should know about!
