The next orchestra I wanted to explore for my Women’s Orchestras Series is Allegra Chamber Orchestra, founded in 2016 by Janna Sailor in Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada.
Allegra Chamber Orchestra (ACO) is not the first Canadian women’s orchestra to be formed, after the Montreal Women’s Symphony Orchestra ran from 1940-1965 (more information available in my previous blog here). However, despite the time difference, the reasons for formation and difficulties faced are surprisingly similar.
ACO is a professional orchestra for women and those who identify as women, playing works of female composers. ACO dedicates itself to “social change, and believes in creating a safe place”, with founder Janna Sailor stating: “I wanted to do something to enact social change through music”, bringing together the strengths of many to work towards something bigger.
And they certainly have created something bigger. Not only have they built a safe and supportive ensemble, they also support local communities by “sponsoring social initiatives, as a portion of each ticket sold goes to a charitable partner” in their community, and offer mentor schemes and training initiatives, including the Composer Incubator Project, which pairs minority composers with established ones to write a piece for ACO.
Despite all their inspiring work for social change, unfortunately it has not always been plain sailing, with the orchestra still receiving demeaning and dismissive comments online and in newspapers. However, the benefit of the orchestra to those who are part of it far outweighs the difficulties. From a survey conducted by Bonnie Eve Alger, it was found that two thirds of the orchestra felt their treatment in music ensembles had been impacted by gender. There were various reasons for this, including playing instruments played mostly by men, being treated as if they didn’t know what they were doing due to being female, experiencing men being given preferential treatment (especially in brass sections) and witnessing claims that men are natural leaders. Most of the orchestra also reported they had previous experiences when they were not given opportunities due to gender. However, thankfully this is no longer the case as part of ACO, with members praising the orchestra’s camaraderie, less competitive environment and more supportive atmosphere.
It is clear to see the benefit ACO offers to its members, especially those who have had previous painful experiences in a patriarchal musical world and also newer musicians and composers looking to learn and develop their skills. It is brilliant to see orchestras like this still thriving today, and if you would like to find out more, you can explore their website here.
If you’re enjoying these blogs please feel free to get in touch to ask more about women’s orchestras or request my full dissertation to read.
References:
Alger, Bonnie Eve (2018). Their Own Agenda: The History, Development, and Culture of Women’s Orchestras Outside The United States. University of Maryland. Available at: https://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/handle/1903/20821/Alger_umd_0117E_18788.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (Accessed: 10th November 2022).
Allegra Chamber Orchestra (no date). About. Available at: https://www.allegrachamberorchestra.com/about (Accessed: 09th August 2023).
Fisher, Gavin (2016). ‘New Vancouver-based all-female orchestra showcases women in classical music’, CBC News. Available at: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/new-vancouver-based-all-female-orchestra-showcases-women-in-classical-music-1.3653610 (Accessed: 13th July 2023).
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