InfoGuides: Diverse Voices in Music Scholarship and Repertoire: Music Repertoire and Composers

Featured Composer

Jennifer Higdon

Bio and Virtual Display by Malcolm Wood, Music Education Major

Jennifer Higdon, a composer, flutist, and LGBTQ+ activist, is a Pulitzer Prize, Nemmers Prize, and Grammy award-winning artist. She is an outspoken advocate of the LGBTQ+ community and about anxiety in music. She attended Bowling Green State University for flute performance, earning a bachelor’s in music, and later earned an Artist’s Diploma from The Curtis Institute of Music as well as a Master of the Arts and Ph.D. in composition from the University of Pennsylvania. She has become a major figure in contemporary classical music with her compositions in multiple genres such as orchestra, chamber, choral, and opera. She has been commissioned by The Chicago Symphony, The President’s Own Marine Band, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and The Atlanta Symphony. She is most known for her composition “Blue Cathedral”. She is currently serving as a Chair member at The Curtis Institute of Music, and currently resides in Philadelphia with her wife and their cats.

Compositions by Jennifer Higdon

Tips for Searching for Composers from Diverse Backgrounds

Many articles, dissertations, books, and reference articles compile repertoire lists by composers of specific demographics. Try searching for a particular instrument or genre in the Library Search, along with the identity you are looking for. Here are some example searches:

Flute Music by Women

Latin American Composers

Chinese Art Songs

Do a web search for composers of a particular identity, then do some research on the people you find.
Search Wikipedia for lists of composers of a particular identity, then research those individuals.
Use websites or professional organizations such as those listed below to find composers, then research their background and repertoire.
Do not assume identity based on names. Instead, research the composer and see what you can uncover from their biographical information.

Web Resources

The following websites provide information on music and composers from underrepresented backgrounds, including BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ composers.

The African American Art Song Alliance
Founded in 1997, this is the home of interchange between performers and scholars interested in art song by African-American composers. Here you will find information and links to assist with your discovery of African American contribution to song.
American Women: Resources from the Performing Arts Collections, Library of Congress
Part of the American Women Series, this guide highlights collections and resources in the Music Division that document the lives and work of significant women in music, theater, and dance.
Chamber Music America: The Composers Equity Project
A list of A Database of women, gender non-conforming, and composers of color
Early African-American Music: A Bibliography, Library of Congress
This guide provides lists of selected resources on early African-American music that can be found in the Library of Congress.
Institute for Composer Diversity
The Institute for Composer Diversity is dedicated to the celebration, education, and advocacy of music created by composers from historically underrepresented groups through database resources and programming analysis.
Latin American Composers: A Guide to Resources at the Library of Congress
This guide introduces performers, conductors, and researchers to resources in the Music Division of the Library of Congress to help them discover concert music by Latin American composers
LGBTQ+ Performing Arts Resources at the Library of Congress
The work of LGBTQ+ musicians, dancers, choreographers, writers, directors, designers, and other creators, is well-represented in the Library’s Music Division collections. This guide highlights these primary and secondary sources both online and in print.
Music by Black Composers
Music by Black Composers mission is to help rectify historic and ongoing racial injustices in the classical music sphere. Check their "resources" tab for directories of historical and living black composers.
Music of BIPOC Composers in the ACA catalog - a working draft
A list of BIPOC composers in the American Composer Alliance catalog
A Seat at the Piano
A Seat at the Piano promotes and advocates for the inclusion, study, and performance of a more equitably representative body of piano works. Their website includes a database of both living and deceased composers of diverse backgrounds.
Castle of Our Skins
Castle of our Skins is a concert and educational series dedicated to celebrating Black artistry through music. Check the "Resources" link under the "Education" tab/link, for a list of organizations, composers and sheet music, ensembles, and references.
Wind Repertory Project
The Wind Repertory Project™ is a comprehensive database of wind literature. Check their Composer Categories to find female and LGBTQ composers, as well as composers of different ethnicities and nationalities.

Diverse Voices in Music Scholarship and Repertoire

Featured Composer

Compositions by Jennifer Higdon

Autumn Music: For Woodwind Quintet

Cold Mountain

Echo Dash

Kelly’s Field: For Concert Band

Mountain Songs: For Flute Choir

Piano Concerto

Violin Concerto

Tips for Searching for Composers from Diverse Backgrounds

Web Resources