Donne, Women in Music

The Global Voice for Women in Music

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Equality & Diversity in Global Repertoire 2025/2026

Equality & Diversity in Global Repertoire 2025/2026 Season

16 days for women. 345 for men: new research reveals the scale of orchestral music’s gender gap. 

Women account for just 8.5% of works programmed by 110 orchestras across 30 countries – and only 4.5% of programmed time.

If all the music analysed in one of the largest studies of global orchestral programming were played continuously from 1 January, music by women would fill just 16 days. Music by men would fill 345. 

See the report HERE

Behind that striking comparison is a dataset of 20,091 works across 6,384 concerts by 110 orchestras in 30 countries. Women composed just 8.5% of the works programmed, up only one percentage point from Donne Foundation’s 2023–24 study. 

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"I founded the Donne Foundation not simply to highlight inequalities, but to help drive change through ideas, solutions, partnerships, and exciting challenges. The more diversity we bring to our stages, the more inspiration we create for future generations. Bringing more music by women and overlooked composers to our stages gives audiences the chance to fall in love with it. That is the transformation we seek. Let’s make the impossible possible. Together. I’m excited to invite you on this journey."
Gabriella Di Laccio MBE
Soprano & Founder Donne Foundation

DONNE365 ARCHIVE

2019-2020

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