Scholars from the UK and international destinations enjoyed the privilege of participating in a fascinating dissemination of musical research at the 5th International Women’s Work in Music Conference, hosted by Trinity Laban between the 29th to 31st of August. Over the course of three days, the Conference offered a vast array of innovative research discussing women in music. Formerly hosted by Bangor University in North Wales, this year’s Conference transferred to South London, graciously sponsored by the RMA, ISM, and PRS for Music. This new location offered delegates many opportunities, including a special visit to the Daphne Oram Archive, Oram inspiring this year’s Conference theme: Brave New Worlds. The Conference also featured three distinguished performances by Trinity Laban staff and students, including an instrumental chamber concert, a contemporary music piano recital by Elena Riu and Aleksander Szram, and a wonderful workshopped premiere performance of Pamela Tomlison’s one-act opera, Games.
The research presented by established academics, postgraduate students, and early career researchers offered fascinating insights into topics of feminist music scholarship. Presentations were divided into parallel paper and lecture-recital sessions based on their content, taking place throughout the Conference, therefore this review covers only papers that I had the pleasure of attending. The first day (Friday, 29th August) showcased debates on the narrative restructuring and deconstruction of canons in scholarship and performance. Róisín Maher examined Northern Ireland’s Finding a Voice Festival, promoting its significance as an act of curatorial activism, aimed at redefining male-centric musical Canons across genres to support the works of living and historical women composers. Reeves Shulstad reflected on women’s professional support networks that are often neglected, overshadowed by links between women and their male counterparts, whose contributions are more readily recognised. Ines Thomas Almeida offered a fascinating reframing of women musicians in Brazil and Portugal, presenting a valuable theoretical framework for historical music research. Ni Kexin’s assessment of Katie Mitchell’s production of Pelleas et Melisande by Debussy evaluated positive aspects and concerns over Mitchell’s reframing of Melisande’s character.
In the afternoon the Canon was addressed further by reevaluating and rethinking women’s representation in education, performance, employment, and within misconstrued narratives. Lucy Hollingworth’s paper offered insight into an issue across feminist musicology, and gender and music studies: how do we bring women into our educative system? She explored the challenge of creating a more inclusive system, using her own advocacy at her institution, where she tailored examples for music theory teaching composed by women. Yvonne Kiely discussed her experience assessing paradoxes around the work of Irish Music Organisations, examining their commitment towards equality among their employees. Gabriella Di Laccio MBE offered a fascinating insight into her influential Donne Women in Music diversity reports, arguing for the pressing need for orchestras and musical organisations to change tactics in the representation of women and other marginalised composers within their repertoires. Claudia Chibici-Revneanu addressed the issue of false “firsts” often linked to the (re)discovery of musical women, causing never-ending cycles of recovery and forgetting; a significant issue affecting efforts into solidifying women’s narratives within music history.
A keynote lecture by Jo Hutton, was dedicated to Daphne Oram, whilst a panel session with composer and turntable artist Shiva Feshareki explored her unique musical language. Feshareki also spoke of her recovery and performance of Oram’s previously lost composition, ‘Still Point’, at the BBC Proms, linking the discussion to Jo Hutton’s earlier insightful keynote.
On the second day (Saturday, 30th August), Judith Valerie Engel examined the embodiment of virtuosity and stage persona displayed in works and recounted performances of three eighteenth-century Viennese composers, Marianna Martines, Josepha Aurnhammer, and Maria Theresia von Paradis. Fauve Bougard explored gendered environments experienced by female students at the Paris and Brussels Conservatoires, whilst Orietta Caianiello looked at the French women who won the ‘Prix de Rome de Musique’ across the twentieth century. Afternoon sessions continued the theme of musical women. Gayle Murchison discussed the turbulent career of jazz musician and entrepreneur Mary Lou Williams, whose self-advocacy, agency and courage helped her navigate a notoriously racially and gender discriminative 1950’s American recording industry. Holly Lawson offered a nuanced view of impresario and contralto Felicita Vestvali, whose Mexican tour with the Vestvali Troupe caused both sensation and controversy.
The second day’s keynote lecture was presented by esteemed Professor Eva Rieger, a feminist music scholar with a remarkable career. Rieger explored the history of the field, highlighting important milestones and addressing the areas still demanding scholarly attention. A music industry panel discussion followed, with representatives from the ISM, PRS Foundation, and the F-List charity, addressing concerns of misogynistic behaviour faced by the music industry in freelance and orchestral sectors.
On the final morning of the Conference (Sunday, 31st August) delegates examined ways that women historically navigated gender politics in music and society. Madlen Poguntke offered an interesting comparison between German and South Korean musical women’s activities across history, reevaluating the role of South Korean Gisaeng courtesans as unique keepers of musical knowledge and skill. Paulina Andrade Schnettler gave insightful discussions on the institutionalisation of music in Chile and its effect on women, including patriarchal intellectual property laws developed as a result. Marita Rhedin examined the musical activities of members in the Swedish suffrage movement during the early twentieth century, demonstrating the importance of communal song in building community and solidarity. Helen Doyle reevaluated the grossly underestimated role of Edith Oldham in constructing and maintaining the longstanding Feis Ceoil festivities in Ireland.
In the afternoon session, speakers examined representations of leading musical women. Christina Guillaumier re-examined the legacy of Marion Scott’s role in British music culture, positioning her as an important enabler in twentieth-century music circles. Jörg Holzmann evaluated the representation of Marianne Kirchgessner, eighteenth-century glass harmonica virtuosa, in German and English romantic literature. Clare Dixon brought to the forefront the twentieth-century conductor Antonia Bricco, examining her representation in press media and the trajectory of her career. The session’s final paper by Charlotte Müller examined the position of women orchestra conductors, analysing how the embodiment of music within their professional practice affects their perception by the orchestral community.
Overall, this year’s WWM Conference papers were exceptional, addressing crucial issues faced by women in the industry today and throughout history, and highlighting narratives of agency and courage despite adversity. This Conference has been one of the most exciting research events of the season, not least thanks to the brilliant organising committee and their support team!
Anastasia Zaponidou (Bangor University)
Anastasia Zaponidou is a PhD candidate at the final stages of her degree, studying at Bangor University in North Wales. Her research examines the musical life of British-born cellist May Henrietta Mukle (1880-1963). The project evaluates Mukle’s contributions to British musical life, examining the intersection of gender with her performance practice and reception, and highlighting the importance of professional networks with other musical women in Mukle’s career success. Anastasia has presented her research at both national and international conferences. These include the RMA/BFE Student Research Conference (Plymouth, Newcastle), RMA Annual Conference (Nottingham, Southampton), the International Women’s Work in Music Conference (Bangor, London), the Music in Nineteenth Century Conference (Milton Keynes, York), IAML (Salzburg), and the North American British Music Studies Association (Oberlin, OH).