Gender Roles in Art Music

I just read an article today that made me want to comment on it. My response to the article is below and so is the link to the article.

http://www.symphonynow.org/2013/03/harpist-in-the-lions-den/


The opportunity for women has definitely increased in the art music community. Unfortunately, I believe these increased opportunities to be lacking still. The first reason I say this is because of the extreme male dominance in "positions of musical power" (e.g. concert masters(mistresses), principal flutists, timpanists, trumpeters etc.).  But this is pretty obvious. Something concerns me more, however.

There seems to be constraint on how a woman can express herself depending on what sort of position she holds. For instance, successful female soloists seem to take on a more sexualized or traditionally feminine image (e.g. Amy Porter, Hilary Hahn). The same goes for high positions in orchestras (who often serve a soloist function) such as concert masters. Famous female conductors, on the other hand, insinuate a more androgynous, and at times traditionally masculine, image or persona.  What is interesting and unfortunate is that these two expressions of feminine energies are virtually mutually exclusive. It is irregular to see a "traditionally feminine" conductor or more masculine concert mistress. Shouldn't be that way.

Males, on the other hand, have been afforded the privilege to express themselves however they want in any art music arena. Whether you talk of the brilliance (and flamboyance) of the late Leonard Bernstein or the stolid demeanor of some principal male woodwind players, the fact remains that there has always been freedom in all art music arenas for a man to express himself in anyway he felt. It would be great if women openly had this freedom too.