Abstract
While programming and repertoire selection form the majority of a conductor’s artistic duties, collegiate orchestra directors have an additional consideration as to how orchestral experiences shape and inform students’ music education––repertoire choices determine what students will not learn in their college training years. The current study surveyed the 2016–17 collegiate orchestra concert programs of 53 US institutions. The findings suggest that college orchestras were more like to program American composers than professional orchestras. However, women composers and living composers were drastically under-represented. Modeling Rob Deemer’s proposal for well-balanced programming with factors influencing orchestral programs, I propose a practical repertoire recommendation for fellow collegiate orchestras, to include around 20% of works by living composers and 6–8% by women composers annually.
Recommended Citation
Ting, Chaowen
(2019)
"When Repertoire is Curriculum:
What We Do Not Teach in Collegiate Orchestras,"
Visions of Research in Music Education: Vol. 33, Article 6.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/vrme/vol33/iss1/6