Grants of $100,000 for 7 women composers
mainOpera America is trying to level the playing field.
It has awarded $100,000 to seven women who are trying to get their operas finished and on stage
The recipients of Discovery Grants are Kitty Brazelton for The Art of Memory, Laura Karpman for Balls, Patricia Leonard (pictured) for My Dearest Friend, Jing Jing Luo for Ashima, Odaline de la Martinez for Imoinda, Kamala Sankaram for The Privacy Show, and Su Lian Tan for Lotus Lives.
Although a press release was issued a week ago, no US-based media – either general, music or blog – has reported the grants, according to Google News. What does that tell you about the state of equality in 2015?
Full details here.
Is it only the Pulitzers that make print?
There was a short notice on NewMusicBox, a site for composers, which has a little more info about the grant program:
http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/opera-american-awards-100000-to-7-female-composers/
I wouldn’t go as far as using the lack of media coverage regarding the grant as reflecting on equality in 2015. Considering that US media frequently neglect to report very important (and actual) news, as most of their attention is focused on such “news” as Kim Kardashian’s posterior or puppies turning somersaults while barking the Battle Hymn of the Republic, you can’t expect them to be distracted with opera composers…male or female.
I did however find one site that reported on the grant some days ago:
http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/opera-american-awards-100000-to-7-female-composers/