It’s A Man, Man’s World But We Are Getting Louder

DONNE, Women in Music launches updated multimedia platform with new features, including a fully searchable database and curated playlists, to continue their fight against centuries of patriarchy.

«The Big List Of Women Composers», a database with over 5, 000 names, from pre-medieval composers to 21st century singer-songwriters, is a key updated feature on DONNE’s website. The list is now both searchable and browsable allowing users to search for women composers along several different data points including period, musical genre, location, nationality as well as BAME and LGBTQI+ composers.

It is the one of the most comprehensive online databases especially dedicated to women composers globally, which will continue to grow as more talent is fostered and unearthed.

If research is not what you are looking for, get ready for listening:  DONNE’s specially curated playlists with music by women are now available directly on the website. Tune in and discover more!

Always searching to engage, educate and connect people all over the world, DONNE now also provides a new podcast series (DONNE Talks) presenting discussions with inspiring people who are generating change in the music business.

Also available on the new multimedia platform: educational videos, interview series with women composers, as well as a daily blog that promotes and celebrates women composers. DONNE continues to fund recordings of music composed by women, host online engaging events, concert series, generate funding for more commissions by women composers and connect the global community of women in music on social media.

For those thinking that inequality in music is a fight of the past, check the information below:

During the 2019-2020 season, 15 top orchestras worldwide performed more than 1500 concerts, presenting nearly 4000 pieces. Of these, only 142 were composed by women.

 Counting The Music Industry Report showed that just 14.18% of the 12,040 writers represented by UK publishers are women, while female artists make up 19.69% of the rosters of acts signed to labels.

USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative showed that only 10.4% of Grammy Nominees from 2013-2019 were female. 89.6% were male.

The music industry still has a long way to go on the path to achieve equality, diversity and inclusion.

For DONNE’s founder, curator and the project’s passionate driving force, soprano Gabriella Di Laccio, the project symbolises her aspiration for bigger and faster changes in the music industry; every feature is a way of including more people and of getting louder as a cause for change.

What will get more music by women heard? Having more music by women being programmed. It’s not rocket science: it’s a simple decision! Their music is out there. If we don’t act now? When will we?

With the music industry under threat by the pandemic, we are in serious danger of going backwards in the fight for equality and diversity.

Not knowing how to act is not an excuse for not acting. The more privileged you are, the higher should be your commitment towards supporting equality, inclusion and diversity. If you are still finding excuses, I’m sorry for being blunt, but it’s time for you to educate yourself.