Donne creates Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Award

NEWS | OCTOBER, 18, 2022

Donne, Women in Music – a foundation dedicated to achieving gender equality in the music industry has launched their new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champions Award to acknowledge orchestras that are making a significant contribution to make the classical musical world more inclusive.

The desire to reward positive change came after the shocking news presented on their latest report, which shows that almost
9 IN 10 PIECES PLAYED BY ORCHESTRAS AROUND THE WORLD ARE WRITTEN BY WHITE MEN.

To earn the EDI Champions Award the orchestra needs to present a concert season that includes
at least 50% of works written by women composers as well as showing a strong commitment towards diversity.

Out of the 111 international renowned orchestras present on Donne’s 2022 report, the Chicago Sinfonietta was the only one to reach the criteria.

Soprano Gabriella Di Laccio, founder of the Donne Foundation says: 

“I am delighted to present this award to the Chicago Sinfonietta and their Music Director Mei Ann-Chen. Their motto is to be innovative, bold, and inclusive and they are the real evidence of what can be done to improve diversity and equality! I hope many will follow their incredible inspiration.”

Maestra Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director of the Chicago Sinfonietta Says:

“The Chicago Sinfonietta has been a pioneering force championing musicians of colour and women for years, and it is especially wonderful when such efforts are recognized officially.
Special thanks to the hard work of Gabriella Di Laccio and Donne, Women in Music for its contribution collecting repertoire done by orchestras and especially for its inaugural EDI Champions Award.”

“We hope this award will help audiences and current sponsors to pay attention on who is consistently working
to create a more inclusive musical world and that they will support them.“

— Gabriella Di Laccio

The National Philharmonic, London Contemporary Orchestra and Chineke! Orchestra have also received the Highly Commended 2022 Award.

National Philharmonic presented a season that featured 40.5% of works by women; the London Contemporary Orchestra with 38.5% works by women, and the Chineke! Orchestra presented a season with over 60% of music written by composers from the global majority.

The EDI champions and Highly Commended awards will help audiences to identify orchestras around the world that are really committed to supporting equality, diversity, and inclusion in music.

Gabriella Di Laccio adds:

“We hope this award will help audiences and current sponsors to pay attention on who is consistently working to create a more inclusive musical world and that they will support them.

Instead of being fearful of not selling tickets to their current concert goers, we hope orchestras around the world will be excited with the opportunity to increase their audiences by bringing in thousands of music lovers who have been kept out of the ‘privileged’ world of classical music for far too long.”

Would you like to be a driver for positive change? 

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