Women Composers & Song

Gabriella Di Laccio, Soprano
Richard Leach, Piano

18:30-19:15 panel discussion
19:30-20:30 concert (no interval)

On Friday 17 November 2023, it is a great pleasure to welcome to the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building at St Hilda’s the renowned Brazilian soprano Gabriella Di Laccio who, together with pianist Richard Leach, will be presenting a programme of music by women composers. At the centre of the programme is the work of British composer, Madeleine Dring, whose 100th anniversary we are celebrating this year. Dring's 'I Hate Music' and work for piano feature in a programme which also includes songs by Anna Appleby, Amy Beach, Elizabeth Maconchy, Florence Price and Pauline Viardot, among others.

The recital is preceded by a panel discussion organized jointly by the Donne Foundation, the Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice at Oxford Brookes University, and St Hilda's College. In an age where inclusivity and representation are imperative, this event aims to spotlight the challenges, triumphs, and the evolving landscape for women in classical music. The discussion will be hosted by Professor Anne Laure Humbert, the Director of the Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice at Oxford Brookes. The discussants are Gabriella Di Laccio and composers Anna Appleby and Dominique Le Gendre.

Gabriella Di Laccio is the founder and director of Donne, Women in Music, a UK foundation dedicated to achieving gender equality in the music industry.

We are grateful for the generous support of multiple donors and of Oxford Brookes University in funding this event.

For more information on the Donne Foundation, please visit: https://donne-uk.org/