Classical Music

Women in Classical Music

If you look at the listings of the major orchestras in America you will see two things in common; very few of them are programming major pieces by women composers, and almost none have a woman on the podium. Despite the abundance of wonderful compositions by women, the world of classical music has been, for centuries, a man’s world.

Alondra de la Parra - Mexican-American conductor founds and leads major orchestras

Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM | By Ellen Robertson

Published February 22, 2019 at 3:43 PM EST

Mexican-American conductor Alondra de la Parra became interested in conducting at age 13. She studied at the Manhattan School of Music, and founded her own ensemble, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas. Later she was artistic director of the Jalisco Philharmonic, and in 2015 the Queensland Symphony Orchestra announced her appointment as music director – the first female conductor of an Australian symphony orchestra. Watch her conduct l'Orchestre de Paris as they perform Arturo Marquez's "Danzon No. 2."

This post is part WXXI Classical 91.5’s celebration of Women’s History Month. For more of these stories and other resources, check out Celebrating the Contributions of Women to Classical Music.