The Repertoire Statistics for classical and art music in Denmark reveal for the fourth consecutive time which music is being performed in Danish concert halls, and how the balance is between music created by women and men, new and older music, as well as Danish and international music.
This fourth edition shows that 10.5% of the total national repertoire in 2022–2024 was written by women (compared to 9.5% in 2020–2022). 0.2% was written by non-binary composers, while the gender of the creator is unknown for 1.1% of the repertoire. Music written by men thus accounted for 88.2%, compared to 88.16% in 2020–2022.
Read the Repertoire Statistics here.
As with the previous Repertoire Statistics, the statistics for the 2022–2024 season clearly demonstrate that the more new music an orchestra, opera company, ensemble, or festival includes in its programme, the better the gender balance in the repertoire. This not only benefits gender balance, but also ensures the development of the musical history of our time and gives audiences contemporary perspectives on the age we live in.
Compared to the first three statistics, we see for the first time a shift in the older repertoire, where the proportion of music by women has increased from 1% to 2.1%. It is a very small share of the total repertoire, but it reflects the initiatives that have focused on finding and performing forgotten works by women. These initiatives are crucial for ensuring that music written out of history is written back in.
Launch event and panel discussion
On Thursday 20 November, the launch of the Repertoire Statistics is celebrated at Musikkens Vilkår – Tal, handling & fair practice. Representatives from Danish orchestras, ensembles, festivals, and foundations take part in a panel discussion on the methods and considerations behind their choice of repertoire, programming, and award decisions.
The panel includes:
James Black - Artistic director, Klang Festival
Tatjana Kandel - Head of artistic planning, DR ensembles
Maj Kullberg - Director, Ensemble Storstrøm / Danish Chamber playsers
Adam Stadnicki - Music Director, Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester
Anne Marqvardsen - Festival manager and artistic Director, Spor Festival
Esben Tange - Chair of the board, Léonie Sonnings Musikpris
Line Tjørnhøj - Board member, the Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Foundation
Cecilie Ullerup Schmidt - Associate Professor, Dept. of Arts and Cultural Studies, Copenhagen University
Thea Vesti Pedersen – Co-founder and Project Manager, Ensemble Lydenskab
The conversation will be moderated by Rosa Lois Balle Yahiya – head of the secretariat and founder of Another Life.
Attendance is free and everyone is welcome. Read more about Musikkens Vilkår – Tal, handling & fair practice here.
The Repertoire Statistics are a collaboration between the Danish Composers’ Society, Edition Wilhelm Hansen, Edition·S, and Art Music Denmark, with support from the Music Publishers’ Association in Denmark.