“The Philadelphia Orchestra is getting its female-composer groove back,” writes Peter Dobrin in Wednesday’s (8/1) Philadelphia Inquirer. “Partially in response to national criticism for assembling a 2018-19 season without a single work by a female composer, the orchestra Wednesday issued a revised season schedule augmented by two works by female composers. A few more female guest artists of various types have also shown up on the season roster. In November, the orchestra will give the U.S. premiere of Perspectives by Canadian composer Stacey Brown, and then in June perform the overture-like Masquerade by London-born Anna Clyne [in photo], which was premiered in 2013 at the BBC Proms. Critics piled on when the orchestra announced its 119th season in January with not a single work by a female composer.… It seemed uncharacteristic of an ensemble with a historic track record of opportunity for women, and the orchestra called it an ‘oversight.’ Even before social media and the music press called out the orchestra, both Clyne and Brown were already being discussed as composers the orchestra wanted to perform in future seasons, said artistic planning vice president Jeremy Rothman. But once the deficit of women drew criticism, they were inked in for the 2018-19 season.”
Posted August 2, 2018
