Presentation
Genesis
In 2018, the Association Française des Orchestres (AFO) affirmed its commitment to equality by adopting a Charter for Equality between Women and Men in Orchestras and Operas, together with the employers' union Les Forces Musicales. The Réunion des Opéras de France joined the Charter in February 2023. The text was then extended to cover the specific issues of ballet and chorus.
One of the pioneering charters in the performing arts, it sets out 21 recommendations - on observation, programming, artists' careers, communication, support systems and partnerships - to promote equality in orchestras and operas.
A survey carried out by the AFO on the representation of women in orchestra programming during the 2020-2021 season reveals that only 4% of works programmed are composed by women (compared with 3% in 2018-2019). This figure is indisputable: part of the symphonic repertoire is virtually absent from orchestra programming.
In light of this, and in keeping with our commitment, the Association Française des Orchestres has decided to give women composers their rightful place with Unanimes!
Presentation
Unanimous! - Avec les compositrices is a national initiative dedicated to the promotion of women composers and their repertoire, supported by member orchestras of the Association Française des Orchestres. Orchestras and partners are mobilizing around three main objectives:
1. (Re)discover a forgotten musical heritage
It's a fact: women composers are the forgotten members of music history. Still rarely programmed, their works remain relatively unknown to the general public. To enable the public to appreciate the entire symphonic repertoire, the Unanimes! label highlights the works of women composers within the orchestras' programming.
2. Encouraging vocations among new generations
In France, professional composers have observed that there is a vocational crisis in the field of composition - particularly symphonic composition: few dare to take on the orchestra and its constraints. In fact, fewer French works are premiered than those of other countries.
Unanimes ! therefore wishes to encourage vocations by opening the doors of orchestras to young men and women.
3. Supporting today's female composers
The works of today's women composers are tomorrow's heritage. Yet women are often in the minority in composition competitions. Supporting women composers today means giving them the visibility they need among artists, professionals and the general public, so that their works can become an integral part of the musical landscape. Through its European composition competition
Unanimes! aims to contribute to the creation of a more diversified symphonic repertoire.
This initiative contributes to the realization of the International Music Council 's(IMC ) Five Rights of Music.
1. The Unanimes ! label
The objectives
- Promoting women composers and their works to the general public
- Promoting the presence of women in orchestral programming
During the 2023-2024 season, all performances (symphonic concerts, chamber music, opera, concerts for young audiences, etc.) featuring at least one work by a female composer will carry the Unanimes! label. All outreach activities focusing on women composers and their repertoire are also labelled.
The Unanimes! label is applied to all communication materials of participating orchestras.
Thanks to the label, all audiences can identify the names and works of female composers and define their own route to meet them.
In partnership with composers
AFO invites member orchestras to use the database Ask Clara ! Already boasting several thousand references, the Ask Clara database is a project dedicated to the promotion of women composers of all eras and nationalities.
2. The mentoring program
The objectives
- Encouraging young men and women to write for the orchestra
- Contribute to their training by offering them an opportunity to discover the orchestra and the profession.
- Creating a French breeding ground for symphonic composers
The mentoring program is open to all interested students in composition classes and specialized institutions from initial to higher education.
Organized as a path of discovery and familiarization with the orchestra, the mentoring program offers privileged access to the orchestra for these young artists throughout the 2023-2024 season.
It is implemented in particular by the 3 institutions in the professionalization chain: the initial conservatories, the higher conservatories and the symphony orchestras.
The mentoring program is available both locally and nationally, in different forms.
In partnership with Maison de la Musique Contemporaine, Orchestre Français des Jeunes and with the support of Sacem
3. The composition competition
The objectives
- Support the work of women composers by enabling the creation and wide distribution of their works
- Supporting contemporary creation and enriching the repertoire.
The European composition competition is open to all female composers who are citizens or legal residents of the European Union.
The prize will be awarded to two works lasting between 7 and 10 minutes: one for symphony orchestra and one for chamber orchestra.
The winning works may be performed by several orchestras during the 2024-2025 season and beyond.
Our partners
