Samantha Burgess, conductor
On August 8th, the Community Women’s Orchestra (Oakland, CA) announced that Samantha Burgess, the ensemble’s 2024/25 season interim Music Director, will be their next Music Director beginning in Season 41 (2025/26). Samantha has joyfully led the ensemble in its recent programs, including the 40th Anniversary program this past spring. Under her leadership the orchestra is going strong and giving more music to Oakland, CA.
Burgess is currently the Assistant Conductor for both the Berkeley Symphony and the Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra. Previously she has been the Interim Music Director of the Community Women’s Orchestra (2024/25), the Assistant Conductor of the Westerville Symphony (OH), the Galesburg Community Chorus (IL), and the Oxford University Philharmonia (UK).
Anoushka Shankar, sitar & composer
On August 12th, Anoushka Shankar (sitar, composer) will appear with the London Contemporary Orchestra at the BBC Proms. She will present with the orchestra the world-premiere performance of music from her three ‘Chapter’ albums that trace her through music and landscapes across the world. She will be joined by Robert Ames and the London Contemporary Orchestra to premiere new orchestral arrangements of her music from her trilogy – Forever, For Now, How Dark It Is Before Dawn and We Return To Light. The concert will happen live at the Royal Albert Hall, and be streamable via BBC iPlayer for a limited time afterward. Shankar’s original album is an intimate recording where she is joined by Alam Khan and Sarathy Korwar. The albums are available purchase or stream from her website.
Hannah Miller, horn
On August 26 the RTÉ (Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Irish public television bopradcaster) Concert Orchestra will present a Summer Lunchtime Concert with conductor Stephen Bell featuring horn soloist Hannah Miller, performing Anne Dudley’s Horn Concerto and selections of film music by female composers. This will be an unusual concert opportunity to celebrate women’s work in film music live as well as to hear other works by women intended for performance in concert. The works performed will include: the Concitato, the Decadence Waltz, and a medley from film music by Anne Dudley, the end titles from Emma (1996, starring Gwenyth Paltrow) by Rachael Portman, the main theme from Wilde (1996, starring Stephen Fry) by Debbi Wiseman, Calling the Aurora (Northern Lights Kulning) by Christina Hals, Argentum (2017, commissioned by ClassicFM and the Royal Philharmonic Society) by Dani Howard, and The Wild Geese sketch for small orchestra by Ina Boyle.
Below is a recording of Dani Howard’s Argentum from 2017, performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and conducted by Michael Seal.
On August 29 – 31 The Trinity Laban Conservatoire will be hosting the 5th annual Women’s Work in Music Conference on August 29–31. The conference will feature a mix of performances and paper presentations.
August is the season of concert announcements! Orchestras are preparing to return from their summer residencies and beginning to announce their finalized 2025/26 season repertoire. Some performances to look out for in the coming months:
- The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Opening Night Concert (Sept. 25) will feature Yuja Wang as soloist for Ravel’s Piano Concerto, and the orchestra will perform Julia Wolfe’s Pretty—a Philadelphia Orchestra commission described as “A love letter to America.”
- The St. Louis Symphony’s Opening Weekend (Sept. 26) will include the first SLSO performance of Joan Tower’s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1.
- The Chicago Symphony’s Opening Weekend (September 25–28) will include Camille Pépin’s shimmering Celestial Waters; their October symphony concert will feature Thea Musgrave’s Piccolo Play feat. soloist CSO piccolo Jennifer Gunn.
Let us know what you’re listening to! Email us at info@wophil.org