The power of female: the representation of female composers through a senior flute recital

Author

Savannah PalmerFollow

Publication Date

Winter 12-2023

Degree Level

B.A.

Program

Music

First Advisor

Hayes, Kristin

Second Advisor

Langston, Camille

Document Type

Thesis

LCSH subject

Women composers; Flute; Music -- Performance

Abstract

In a prominent number of musical performances, the number of female compositions being performed is small. The dominance of male composers throughout time has created a barrier that prevents female composers from being represented in the music community. Female composers possess great creativity and virtuosity in their compositions, yet gender bias impacts their representation in music repertoire, specifically flute repertoire (Fairouz, 2017). With less than 6.10 percent of female compositions being programmed in concerts and recitals, members of various communities are lacking exposure to the powerful musical works that women create (Peters, 2016). To empower female composers and demonstrate their artistry and brilliance, six flute compositions had been selected to be performed in a senior flute recital. The composers, whose musical compositions span across musical periods, including the Baroque, Romantic, and Contemporary eras, deserve to be recognized for their transformational and evolutionary compositions, specifically in the realm of flute and piccolo. This performance recognizes a wide array of female composers whose unique musical techniques push the musical boundaries of their respective times. The purpose of this senior recital was to expose members of the San Antonio community and beyond to a diverse set of musical works by female composers, while simultaneously encouraging the promotion of musical compositions written by members of various minority populations, including women and people of color.

Key words: baroque, contemporary, female composers, flute, flute recital, male composers, minority, music, performance, piccolo, romantic era, recital repertoire, San Antonio, senior flute recital, underrepresentation

Recommended Citation

Palmer, Savannah, "The power of female: the representation of female composers through a senior flute recital" (2023). Honors Program Theses and Research Projects. 31.
https://commons.stmarytx.edu/honorstheses/31

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.