Publication - A Century of Composition by Women: Music Against the Odds

I was delighted to be able to contribute a chapter to ‘A Century of Composition by Women: Music Against the Odds’. Here is a brief abstract from my work titled ‘Programming Orchestral Repertoire by Women Composers: Challenges and Opportunity’:

The tradition of an orchestral repertory has been established in our music culture for approximately 250 years. As an orchestral conductor and educator, I have often held the position of music director/conductor of orchestras that require significant training, working with ensembles at a variety of levels in different countries. When selecting orchestral repertoire, each section of the ensemble must be given the opportunity to play a part that contributes to the structure and aesthetic of the composition. This chapter introduces significant repertoire by female composers from Australia and New Zealand that can be performed by orchestras at a variety of levels. Such composers include Loreta Fin, Katy Abbott, Fritha Jameson and Lissa Meridan, whose music is composed with the specific intention to be performed by young players through to advanced youth and/or amateur orchestras. Each work presented is analysed for its compositional and performance features that align with the proposed standards. The chapter concludes with a graded list of orchestral music by Australian and New Zealand female composers of ‘art music’ which can act as the foundation of a future digital resource and serve as a valuable resource to music directors and conductors.