Women in Musique: Exploring the unheard narratives and legacy of Female Composers

Training | April 21, 2026

Imagine 240 cultural institutions in France. Based on a recent study by La Cité des Compositrices and the Centre National de la Musique, only 140 of them are currently programming women composers. Considering this alarming figure and the average time dedicated to women in some concerts’ programs, the study estimates that women composers make up approximately 4% of the overall programming time in France. Does this fact suprise you ?

Among 214 French cultural institutions studied, 74 did not include a single work composed by a woman in their 2022-2023 season.
This invisibility is not just a coincidence; it is the result of a historical “erasure.” Many scores remain unedited or inaccessible, and without recordings or musicological research, these works remain “silent” for programmers and audiences alike.
Our goal is to help young musicians navigate a repertoire that history has too often hidden or erased, so that the powerful and beautiful works of women composers may be heard more and more in venues everywhere. We believe the next generation of performers holds the key to transforming concert programs. By researching, rediscovering, and performing forgotten scores, young ensembles can bring hidden repertoires back to life—enabling these works to exist, to matter, and to be transmitted to future audiences.

Thanks to many years of tireless work from researchers, genealogists and musicians (it always is collective work!), today young performers have access to several comprehensive databases packed with valuable resources. These databases seem to be the most appropriate and efficient means for ensembles to engage with this topic and to discover the hidden women composer’s repertoire. We strongly encourage MERITAcubed’s ensembles to make use of these tools to develop their residency and concert programs.
In coherence with this important researching work ProQuartet wishes to support ensembles from the very beginning of their project’s creation: prior to the support provided by their tutors during their residencies, we will propose special individual guidance to help them build their “out of the box” projects.

About ProQuartet-CEMC
Based in Paris, ProQuartet-Centre Européen de Musique de Chambre has been supporting emerging chamber music ensembles (string quartet & piano trios), and promoting chamber music in France and Europe since 1987.
Our mission is multifaceted: we support the emergence of young chamber music ensembles through high-level masterclasses, residencies, concert programming, and cultural outreach activites. We also foster the creation and dissemination of the chamber music repertoire

Our Commitment to Women Composers
For over a decade, we have made the visibility of women composers an underlying theme in our work. We encourage the ensembles in residency to commission new pieces from women composers and to integrate their works into their repertoire.
Our festival L’Orangerie Sonore includes Bagat’Elles, two afternoons entirely dedicated to music written by women — a 100% female composers lineup that feels both meaningful and natural for our organization.