“International Women’s Day is March 8, and there are a number of related concerts,” writes Anne Midgette in Friday’s (3/1) Washington Post. “At the Kennedy Center, the National Symphony Orchestra and Ben Folds presents a women-themed ‘Declassified’ program (March 8) … and cellist Steven Isserlis contrasting three well-known works by men with three lesser-known works by their female contemporaries (March 6)…. A three-day festival that weekend at Blind Whino and Strathmore’s auxiliary venue AMP … will flood the zone with female composers and performers…. The festival is the maiden outing of the Boulanger Initiative, formed last March to promote the music of women through a concert series … helping organizations curate more diverse seasons, and offering advice and support; and through this festival, which is projected as an annual event.” Violinist and Boulanger Initiative co-founder Laura Colgate said, … ‘We put out a call for submissions for performers … and we sort of expected 20 or 30 submissions. We got 80…’ At that point, they changed their concept for the festival to involve significantly more events…. One feature of the festival is an afternoon of ‘boot-camp booths’ during which music professionals … will … talk to anyone interested in their services.”
Posted March 4, 2019
In photos: At left, Boulanger Initiative namesake, composer Lili Boulanger. At right, composer Missy Mazzoli, who will appear during the Boulanger Initiative’s inaugural festival this weekend with violinist Jennifer Koh in a program of all-Mazzoli works.
