Pushing the Medium Forward: Commissioned Wind Band Works from Female Composers

Since the early 1900s, wind band conductors have encouraged composers to write original works for the medium. Through commissioning projects, the body of wind band repertoire has grown significantly over the past century. Historically, these commissions have heavily favored male-identifying composers, and it was not until the last several decades that contributions from female composers regularly occurred. This document reviews early female wind band composers and the societal standards of the early-20th century that limited female composer output in a male-dominated field, discusses the initial wave of female composers commissioned to write for wind band, investigates contemporary wind works from female composers, and presents aspirations for the future of female wind band composers. For the purpose of this study, three contemporary female composers whose compositional output for winds includes commissions from significant entities such as CBDNA and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, are considered. Multiverse by Clarice Assad, Cenizas by Gilda Lyons, and Press On by Jessica Meyer are used to represent the ongoing practice of commissioning original works for wind band from female composers. In addition to each of these works being discussed, the aforementioned composers were interviewed, allowing them to share their thoughts about their compositional output for band, their personal musical journeys, and their hopes for the next generation of female wind band composers.