The Donne – Women in Music foundation has released the results of a new study analysing the 2020-2021 season programs of 100 orchestras around the world, revealing the lack of representation of works by non-white and non-male composers. The study, Equality and Diversity in Concert Halls, builds upon earlier research into the 2018 and 2019 seasons internationally, this year capturing a wider pool of orchestras across 27 countries, including the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras.

Gabriella Di Laccio

Gabriella Di Laccio. Photograph © Andres Landino

The study analysed the programs of some of the most influential and highly-regarded orchestras around the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic, the London Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, among many others, including the four from Australia. For the Australian orchestras, the report respected the office season dates so analysed the 202o seasons.

The report – which can be found on the Donne – Women in Music website – breaks down the findings of the study into clear statistics....