South Bank changes new composer’s sex
UncategorizedLondon’s South Bank Centre is so proud that one of its orchestras has commissioned a new concerto it failed to notice the composer’s gender. This, you should know, is Stevie Wishart.
This is the South Bank’s press release. Sample: At the centre of this concert is a brand new piece by the acclaimed composer Stevie Wishart. His track record encompasses both early music and cutting-edge electronics.
This is the esteemed soloist.
This is pretty poor. It’s not as if Ms Wishart is unknown; her recordings with Sinfonye in particular have received a good deal of acclaim.
Appalling! I am amazed that nobody at the SBC marketing & management spotted such a stupid mistake. Considering how well known she is and how long she has been on the music scene in general, it is indeed rather insulting to Ms Wishart.
I suspect that many female composers would actually find this comforting, since it demonstrates that they were commissioned on merit, and not through positive discrimination.
Conversely, speaking as a male composer whose name has led people to misconstrue my gender, I rather fear being an accidental (and unintended) beneficiary of positive discrimination.
One wonders what the Master of the Queen’s Music might think…
* Southbank Centre