For the second time, the Danish Composers’ Society, SNYK, Edition Wilhelm Hansen and Edition·S have published a report about the repertoire performed by Danish orchestras and ensembles and at Danish music festivals.
The report shows slight progress when it comes to the representation of female composers, in particular in the repertoire of ensembles and festivals. The state-subsidized symphony orchestras seem to be challenged the most. Out of five orchestras, only three included music written by women in the repertoire of 2020 and one of the three only included a single piece by a female composer.
Key figures from the reports in 2018 and 2020
Category 2018 2020
Gender M/F 96,4 / 3,6 94,6 / 5,4
Nationality DK / Other 18 / 82 21,39 / 78,6
New / Older music 24,4 / 75,6 24,5 / 75,5
Gender new music M/F 85,8 / 14,2 79 / 21
Gender older music M/F 99,9 / 0,1 99,5 / 0,5
Premiere performances 3,3 4,1
The recently elected chairperson of the Danish Composers’ Society, Juliana Hodkinson, says: "For the second time, we document the fact that contemporary music, in particular music written by women, exists on difficult terms in Denmark. Even though Danish composers receive great praise abroad. To fight gender inequality in the repertoire and concert programmes, music written by women must be scheduled continuously – not only at award shows or on International Women's Day."
Read the complete report here >>
Read the press release from the Danish Composer's Society here >>