Any Women and Hollywood readers who wade into the gender politics of the classical music world will find the same types of issues as the movie business. Women are underrepresented in the prestigious positions of composer and conductor, with many in the old guard making excuses for the status quo by declaring, for example, that “a cute girl on a podium means that musicians think about other things.” (By the way that wasn’t from 1953 — it was said last year.)
Opera America, a 44-year-old organization that promotes the musical genre, sought to take one step toward rectifying the gender imbalance by holding a competition for new works by women composers. They announced the eight winners and their projects earlier this week:
Anna Clyne — As Sudden Shut
Michelle DiBucci — Charlotte Salomon: Death and the Painter
Laura Kaminsky — As One
Kristin Kuster — Old Presque Isle
Anne LeBaron — Psyche & Delia
Fang Man — Golden Lily
Sheila Silver — A Thousand Splendid Suns
Luna Pearl Woolf — The Pillar
Each winner will receive a $12,500 grant, donated by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
[h/t NYT]
