Where are the women in classical music season?
The fall season begins this week, and, as always, music lovers will have a fantastic array of events to choose from. In the months to come, we’ll hear operas, symphonies, world premieres and intimate chamber works, with top artists in every category.
Yet, when perusing the season, one might be forgiven for wondering where the women are.
That’s not to say there aren’t a number of female artists on the schedule — there are. This season will see performances by pianist Yuja Wang (Sept. 13-16, San Francisco Symphony), Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio (Oct. 3-30, San Francisco Opera) and the early music ensemble Tenet, led by artistic director Jolie Greenleaf (Oct. 12, San Francisco Performances), to name just a few.
But women composers and conductors? Not so much.
As in past years, there’s a shocking lack of numbers in those categories. Even in the age of #MeToo, women are still woefully underrepresented on the podiums and programs of the classical music world.
Why this is still the case is anybody’s guess. It’s not that there aren’t capable women working as composers and conductors. Last month’s Cabrillo Festival in Santa Cruz was instructive. The annual contemporary music event (led for many years by the great American conductor Marin Alsop), has always featured women composers, and this year’s installment, conducted by current music director Cristian Macelaru, included works by Anna Clyne, Zosha Di Castri, Missy Mazzoli and Vivian Fung.
This season, music lovers might have to search for comparable programs. Women, it seems, still face an uphill battle when it comes to equal time on classical music stages. Works
by female composers are often relegated to the first 10 minutes of a concert. It’s just as difficult for female conductors, who can spend years vying for guest slots — unless, like Opera Parallèle’s Nicole Paiement, they launch their own companies.
So, as the 2018-19 season gets underway, we combed through the calendar and found some promising events that will feature women — both on the program and on the podium. Here’s a partial list.
SEPT. 23 >> The California Symphony opens its season with Three Latin-American Dances for Orchestra by the Bay Area’s own Gabriela Lena Frank. Conducted by Donato Cabrera, the program also includes works by Beethoven and Bernstein. Stay tuned: Later in the season, the organization’s composer-in-residence, Katherine Balch, will unveil her second of three CSO commissions. www.californiasymphony.org.
SEPT. 29-30 >> The Gold Coast Chamber Players, led by violist and artistic director Pamela Freund-Striplen, launches its season with two performances of “Allegre y Divertida” for string trio by American composer Mary Bianco. Works by Turina, Chausson and Vaughan Williams complete the program. www.gcplayers.org.
OCT. 4 >> The Berkeley Symphony’s season-opening concert features Jennifer Higdon’s Violin Concerto and Anna Clyne’s “Night Ferry,” along with works by Barber and Ravel. Ming Luke conducts. www.berkeleysymphony.org.
OCT. 5-7 >> Nicole Paiement, Opera Parallèle’s artistic director and chief conductor, leads performances of the Philip Glass opera “In the Penal Colony.” www.daysandnightsfestival.com.
JoAnn Falletta, music director of the Bay Area’s own Women’s Philharmonic from 1986-97 and currently music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and Virginia Symphony Orchestra, returns to the Bay Area as guest conductor for Symphony Silicon Valley’s season-opening program featuring Prokofiev and Sibelius. www. symphonysiliconvalley.org.
OCT. 25-27 >> Macelaru, appearing as guest conductor with the San Francisco Symphony, conducts Anna Clyne’s “Masquerade” in Davies Symphony Hall. www. sfsymphony.org.
DEC. 14-15 >> Conductor and early music specialist Jane Glover returns to Davies Hall to conduct two San Francisco Symphony performances of Handel’s “Messiah.” www.sfsymphony. org.
conductor Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla leads the San Francisco Symphony in a program featuring Sibelius and Tchaikovsky. www.sfsymphony. org.
JAN. 25 >> The Oakland Symphony presents the Third Symphony of Florence Price, considered the first African-American woman composer. www.oaklandsymphony.org.
APRIL 4 AND 6 >> Meredith Monk, the incomparable composer, singer and director, brings her Vocal Ensemble to Stanford’s Bing Hall for two can’t-miss programs. live.stanford.edu.
MAY 23-25 >> The San Francisco Symphony gives its first performances of “Overture” by the late Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz. www.sfsymphony.org.