Bold statement: ABC Classic is turning up the volume for women in music, with a yearlong celebration that shines a spotlight on female composers and performers from classical jazz to baroque—and it’s all happening this March. But here’s where it gets controversial: some voices argue this focus is long overdue, while others worry it might blanket-out broader repertoires. Let’s unpack what the Festival of Female Composers and International Women’s Day programming actually entails, in clear, beginner-friendly terms, with practical examples and friendly guidance on what to listen for.
Overview
- ABC Classic marks a decade of championing music by women through its annual Festival of Female Composers. Since 2016, the network has built a cross-century project around International Women’s Day, evolving into a multi-day radio festival dedicated to music composed or performed by women.
- The festival runs March 6–8, with programming that exclusively features works by women, plus live studio appearances, special broadcasts, and curated “super concerts” that collect highlight performances from ABC Classic’s archives.
- ABC Jazz participates with a fresh release from its Women of Jazz series, spotlighting contemporary women-led Australian projects. The roster includes Tessie Overmyer, Lauren Kate Henderson, Jess Green, Lauren Tsamouras, and others.
What to expect, day by day
- Pre-festival lead-ins include a Jazz Legends spotlight on Carmen McRae and features from Artist in Residence Hinano Fujisaki throughout the month.
- Monica Trapaga hosts a special edition of The Dinner Set on March 6, tracing the arc of women in jazz from past to present.
- On International Women’s Day (March 8), Australian singer-composer Michelle Nicolle contributes a Jazztrack special featuring selections from Mary Osborne to Judy Bailey, highlighting pioneering women in jazz.
- Each day includes thoughtful programming blocks across ABC Classic and ABC Jazz, blending live performances, studio sessions, and curated recordings that foreground female voices and composers.
Representative schedule highlights
- March 2–6: Morning milestones on ABC Classic Breakfast; feature albums and artist spotlights; Drive-time programs featuring ensemble works by women and key performers.
- March 6 (Festival start): Dual album releases from Women of Jazz (ABC Jazz) and Women of Note (ABC Classic); a Lunchtime Concert featuring ensembles from major Australian symphonies; live requests focused on women composers; The Dinner Set presents jazz from yesteryear to today; an in-depth First Nations compilation concert in the Evening Concert; and a game-music focus highlighting women composers.
- March 7: A day of all-women-performed and composed pieces in orchestral and screen-music contexts; opera arias by women; and contemporary works like Unsuk Chin’s Die dunkle Seite des Mondes performed with notable artists.
- March 8 (International Women’s Day): Hildegard von Bingen’s four hours of medieval mysticism in Hilde-thon; a live studio appearance by Åkervinda; Sunday Baroque programming; Michelle Nicolle’s Jazztrack special; and contemporary piano and vocal showcases featuring premier women composers and performers.
Why this matters (for beginners)
- It aggregates a portrait of women’s contributions across eras, genres, and geographies, making it easier to discover influential works you might not encounter in standard concert timetables.
- The festival genres span classical, jazz, baroque, contemporary, and screen music, so you can sample broadly in one concentrated event window.
- Live studio sessions and curated “super concerts” offer authentic listening experiences and the chance to hear artists in a more intimate, broadcast setting.
Controversy and food-for-thought prompts
- Some listeners celebrate a dedicated focus on women as overdue correction in a historically male-dominated field; others question whether specialization could inadvertently silo women’s music or pigeonhole programming. Do you think genre diversity within the festival achieves balance, or would a broader thematic emphasis work better?
- The emphasis on women composers can highlight extraordinary individuals while risking the impression that male composers are a separate, less relevant category. How would you structure programming to honor contributors of all genders while still centering women’s voices?
- With live collaborations and archival “super concerts,” there’s potential for unequal access to premieres vs. archival highlights. Should the festival lean more on contemporary premieres or celebrate a wider spectrum of historical works to broaden appeal?
How to approach listening
- Start with the highlighted “super concerts” to get a cross-section of notable performances across years.
- Pair a classical piece with a jazz selection by a same-era woman composer or performer to notice stylistic threads and contrasts.
- Use the International Women’s Day lineup to map a timeline of women’s contributions, from Hildegard von Bingen to present-day Australian women artists.
Bottom line
This festival captures a rich, curated snapshot of women’s creativity across genres and centuries, inviting both new listeners and seasoned enthusiasts to explore, compare, and discuss. It’s a bold, lively invitation to broaden your musical horizons while engaging in thoughtful conversation about representation, repertoire, and the evolving landscape of women in music.
Would you like a personalized listening plan that matches your preferred genres and time slots, or a quick primer on the key artists mentioned so you can jump right in?
