Donne Foundation Launches its 23/24 Annual Report: Equality & Diversity in Global Repertoire
The Equality & Diversity in Global Repertoire 2023-2024 report analyses the programming of 111 orchestras from 30 different countries worldwide.
NEWS | JUNE 3rd, 2024
Donne’s 23/24 annual report has officially launched!
This report, produced by Donne – Women in Music, examines the repertoire of 111 orchestras across 30 countries for the 2023-2024 season. It builds upon our annual research, which began in 2018, highlighting trends in programming diversity and equality within global concert repertoire.
OVERVIEW
Our analysis of 16,327 compositions scheduled for performance reveals significant disparities:
WOMEN COMPOSERS:
Only 7.5% of works were composed by women, a slight decrease from 7.7% last year. Of these, 5.8% were composed by white women, and works by women from the global majority accounted for just 1.6%, distributed as follows:
- Black women: 0.59%
- Asian women: 0.50%
- Mixed Heritage women: 0.40%
- Indigenous women: 0.07
- Middle Eastern women: 0.02%
MEN COMPOSERS:
Men composed 92.5% of the scheduled works, predominantly white men (89.3%). Global majority men contributed 3.2% of the compositions:
- Black men: 1.76%
- Asian men: 0.76%
- Mixed Heritage men: 0.20%
- Middle Eastern men: 0.19%
- Indigenous men: 0.06%
NON-BINARY COMPOSERS:
Represent less than 0.1% of the total works.
Racial & Historical Bias
A staggering 78.4% of the pieces were composed by deceased white men, marking an increase from 76.4% in the previous period of analysis. The top 10 composers, all historical white European men, accounted for 30.6% of all works. These 10 composers were played more than four times the combined total of all works by women. The share of works by the top 25 composers, all of whom were historical white men other than the living John Williams, rose to 50.6%, indicating that a narrow group dominates the majority of global orchestral programming.
A decrease in gender and racial diversity from our 21/22 report…
Less than 7.5% of the works were written by women, of which 5.8% were white women. This is a decrease from 7.7% in the 21/22 seasons.
Only 1.6% of works were by global majority women and 3.2% by global majority men (a decrease from 2.1% and 4.5% in our previous report, respectively).
The number of deceased white men included increased from 76.4% to 78.4%.
Top 10 most played composers
Over 30% of all works performed globally were by these 10 composers (all white, historical men). Their pieces have been performed more than four times more than ALL pieces by women combined.
The woman with the most works scheduled was Lili Boulanger, who ranked 52nd of composers overall with 52 pieces scheduled.
What does it mean?
The comparison reveals that the representation of women and global majority composers has decreased from the 2021-2022 season to the 2023-2024 season. The data underscores a growing trend towards the consolidation of a classical “canon,” predominantly composed of historical white men, at the expense of broader diversity. This trend not only marginalizes women and non-white composers but also lesser-known white male composers. This suggests that despite ongoing discussions about equality and diversity, the actual programming choices are not reflecting these values, and there is still a need for collaborative efforts to address this imbalance.
FAQs
Why are the periods of analysis different for each orchestra?
The period of analysis is different for each orchestra: this is most commonly due to slightly different dates for seasons or where the whole season was not yet released. Where some /all the information was not publicly available on an orchestra’s website, we emailed the orchestra directly to request further detail. Unfortunately, many orchestras did not respond and so have a shorter period of analysis. The period analysed is shown in the report next to each orchestra individually for clarity and consistency.
How many countries are represented?
30 countries: Canada, United States, Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, United Kingdom, Finland, Russia, Germany, France, Belgium, Israel, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, China, Japan, Singapore, and Australia
How many orchestras are included?
111 orchestras from around the globe.
Which events did you include in your analysis?
Mainstage orchestral concerts were analyzed. Gala concerts, touring and family concerts were only included when the information available comprised a full programme of the pieces performed. Chamber music concerts were included if they were performed by members of the orchestra. Anonymous and traditional pieces were considered when the name of the composer responsible for the arrangement was clearly stated.
What data did you collect?
(i) The composers programmed within each scheduled performance (ii) The composition programmed from each composer. In this report, each work was counted every time it appeared on the orchestra’s season programme, indicating the composer’s performance presence for the season.
Elizabeth Hardman
elizabeth.hardman@donne-uk.org
elizabethhardmansoprano.com
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