In the midst of a national reckoning about racial justice and equity, musical organizations are also looking at their role in creating a more inclusive future for classical music.
Elisabeth Blair is a composer, poet, artist and podcaster. Blair's podcast series Listening to Ladies features interviews with 30 women composers. The podcast deeply explores contemporary classical music, and the experience of being a women in the field of music composition.
Since discontinuing the podcast, Blair has continued to keep up with worldwide efforts to empower diverse voices in the world of classical music.
Here is an extensive - not exhaustive - list of organizations suggested by Blair, that are doing important work around diversity and inclusion. Check out these links to dive deeper.
- The Sphinx Organization
- The Dream Unfinished
- Castle of Our Skins
- The Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music
- ChamberQUEER
- Music by Women Festival, Mississippi University for Women
- Boulanger Initiative
- Music by Black Composers
- The Lied Society
- International Alliance for Women in Music
- Donne
- The Kapralova Society
- Aural Compass Projects
- Ensemble For These Times
- Live Music Project - BIPOC composers
- Live Music Project - women composers
If you're interested in finding more works by diverse composers, here is a list of databases that might help you with your search.
