According to a survey by the Institute for Composer Diversity analyzing the 2019-20 seasons of 120 American orchestras, just eight percent of all pieces performed were composed by women, and just sixteen percent of all works performed that year were by living composers. 
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In summer 2021, the Local 4 Music Fund launched an annual concert series featuring the works of female, regional, living composers. Now in its second season, we are proud to continue our work towards creating a more equitable regional arts community, which would not be possible without our generous donors: Ohio Arts Council, Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, the George Gund Foundation, the Bascom Little Fund, The Cyrus Eaton Foundation, and the Sweeney Group. 

 

The Music Fund hopes that this concert series serves as an occasion for recognition and celebration of female composers and also as an opportunity to remind ourselves of the urgent need to redouble our efforts toward closing the chasm of opportunity and representation that separates women from men, both within and outside the arts.