Don, I'm a professional conductor and new subscriber. I can't tell you how nice it is to read someone who is seeing what I'm seeing, especially given your expertise and eloquence.
As a new fan, I'm binge-reading to catch up.
I just received the announcement of the "3rd Edition [2024] La Maestra Competition) and thought I would share excerpts from some of their boilerplate:
—"La Maestra is open to professional women conductors from all over the world, without age limit."
They are proud that they aren't being ageist, even though restricting participation to those under a certain age is actually a common feature of competitions and actually much more defensible than the sexism they are displaying.
—"Society is evolving. More and more women conductors are being programmed in musical institutions, but we know that the fight must continue until gender equality is permanently etched into the international musical landscape. Giving confidence and visibility to the talented women who are emerging as orchestral conductors is a cause La Maestra will continue to champion with commitment and passion."
I'm sure they haven't read your takedown, but in any case the facts will be insufficient to affect their fervor. Their righteousness is blinding them to the fact that they are committing the very discrimination they think they are fighting.
Don, I'm a professional conductor and new subscriber. I can't tell you how nice it is to read someone who is seeing what I'm seeing, especially given your expertise and eloquence.
As a new fan, I'm binge-reading to catch up.
I just received the announcement of the "3rd Edition [2024] La Maestra Competition) and thought I would share excerpts from some of their boilerplate:
—"La Maestra is open to professional women conductors from all over the world, without age limit."
They are proud that they aren't being ageist, even though restricting participation to those under a certain age is actually a common feature of competitions and actually much more defensible than the sexism they are displaying.
—"Society is evolving. More and more women conductors are being programmed in musical institutions, but we know that the fight must continue until gender equality is permanently etched into the international musical landscape. Giving confidence and visibility to the talented women who are emerging as orchestral conductors is a cause La Maestra will continue to champion with commitment and passion."
I'm sure they haven't read your takedown, but in any case the facts will be insufficient to affect their fervor. Their righteousness is blinding them to the fact that they are committing the very discrimination they think they are fighting.