Boulanger Initiative to Host Festival Celebrating Female Composers

In April, the Maryland-based festival will include concerts, workshops, and talks that focus on women in composition

The Boulanger Initiative, which is a non-profit organization that champions music by female and gender-marginalized composers, has announced the program for its sixth annual WoCo Fest. Subtitled "Evolve," the festival will be held from April 12 to 14 in the Bethesda area of Maryland and will be headlined by four-time GRAMMY Award-winning jazz drummer Terri Lyne Carrington.

Throughout the weekend, concerts will feature pianist, commissioner, and new music specialist Sarah Cahill; Ghost Ensemble with composer/oboist/installation artist Sky Macklay; Spanish cellist and composer Andrea Casarrubios; baroque specialists Musica Spira; and live composer workshops with the Thalea String Quartet.

Terri Lyne Carrington's closing concert will present New Standards, a project celebrating women's contributions to the jazz canon.

In addition, there will be several talks on pertinent issues facing women in music — both historical and contemporary. These will include a talk by Dr. Paula Maust on women composers in seventeenth-century Italy, a session by Aubrey Bergauer on the topic of her book Run It Like A Business, and a round-table discussion on honest commissioning practices.

"We are so thrilled to be presenting some of today’s most exciting performers and composers from all over the country to come together and celebrate these contributions," said Laura Colgate, Co-Founder of the Boulanger Initiative.

You can find out more about the festival here.