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Publication Date

2023

Document Type

Article

Abstract

As I was preparing for my senior degree cello recital (the performance component of this thesis) last summer, I realized that all the composers I planned on programming were famous composers that were white men. As a woman cellist, teacher, and arts advocate, I knew this was not the story that I wanted to tell through my recital. I realized that there was no reason to wait until after graduation when I was “finished learning” to be an advocate for those underrepresented in the arts, I could start with this recital. Through the process of programming, preparing, and performing this recital, I discovered many great resources for finding works by underrepresented composers, learned about their lives and the discrimination they faced, was able to show my students music by people that looked like them, and spread awareness for underrepresented composers. The resources I found will be used to continue to program music by diverse and underrepresented composers in my own performance, and in the concerts of my students. Due to the results of this thesis project, new composers were able to be highlighted to the attendees of my recital and are now being performed by many of the people that were there. My students were able to see music by people that looked like them and are now asking for solos composed by underrepresented composers as well. I will continue to work hard to uplift these composers and learn more ways to break down these barriers to classical music for myself as a woman, and for minorities around me.

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