851378

research-article2019
SRJXXX10.1177/1948499219851378String Research JournalPope

Article
String Research Journal
2019, Vol. 9 35­–49
An Analysis of the © American String Teachers Association 2019
Article reuse guidelines:
Repertoire Performed by sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/1948499219851378
https://doi.org/10.1177/1948499219851378
Youth Orchestras in the journals.sagepub.com/home/srj

United States

David A. Pope1

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of repertoire
performed by youth orchestras in the United States. Through an online survey, youth
orchestra administrators (N = 39) provided information about repertoire performed
by their program’s premier orchestra during their 2015-2016 season. Orchestras
performed 302 different pieces of music by 158 different composers. The Firebird by
Igor Stravinsky, Carmen Suite No. 1 by Georges Bizet, and Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture
by Mikhail Glinka were performed most frequently. Approximately three quarters
of all compositions were written after 1850, and only 7.14% were composed after
2000. Compositions by Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, and Brahms were the most frequently
performed, and female composers only wrote 0.78% of the repertoire performed
by youth orchestras during their 2015-2016 season. Conductors should use these
findings as an impetus to identify culturally diverse repertoire appropriate for youth
orchestras by non-male composers.

Keywords
youth orchestra, repertoire, composer, gender

Information about repertoire performed by youth orchestra programs in the United

States is limited. Researchers previously provided lists of repertoire commonly per-
formed by professional orchestras (e.g., League of American Orchestras, 2007a, 2008,

1Elyria High School, OH, USA

Corresponding Author:
David A. Pope, Associate Professor of Music Education, Conservatory of Music, Baldwin Wallace
University, 49 Seminary St., Berea, OH 44017, USA.
Email: David.Andrew.Pope@gmail.com
36 String Research Journal 9

2009, 2010a, 2011, 2012, 2013; Matthews, 2009; Mueller, 1973; Price, 1990). Others
analyzed professional orchestras’ repertoire to determine which composers had their
compositions frequently performed, the gender of composers, if performed works
were by living composers, and when repertoire was composed (O’Bannon, 2014,
2015, 2016). Findings from those studies support common concerns about profes-
sional orchestras’ repertoire choices: limited performances of compositions by female
composers (Brown, 2018; De Oliveira, 2018; Huizenga, 2018; Midgette, 2017;
Service, 2015), limited performances of culturally diverse compositions (Gay, 2017;
Shadle, 2018; Tapia, 2016), and limited performances of newly composed works
(Barron, 1986; Castillo, 2018; Gilbert, 2015; Huizenga, 2013). Although examinations
of professional orchestras’ repertoire choices are vast, investigations of youth orches-
tras’ programming choices are insufficient and limited in scope. Additional studies are
needed to determine if youth orchestra conductors program similar repertoire, compo-
sitions by specific composers, compositions by composers of a certain gender, compo-
sitions from particular countries, and compositions from a specific time period. A
deeper understanding of youth orchestras’ repertoire choices is needed to determine if
the programming concerns commonly discussed for professional orchestras warrant
conversations in youth orchestra communities.
Previous investigations of professional orchestras’ repertoire lists may highlight
potential programming concerns for youth orchestras. In a comparison of two different
time periods, Matthews (2009) found that professional orchestras are reluctant to pro-
gram new compositions and tend to perform the same traditional pieces. Other
researchers determined that professional orchestras lean toward programming reper-
toire by specific composers or pieces from certain time periods (Hutchinson & Miller,
1978; Matthews, 2009; O’Bannon, 2014, 2015, 2016; Thuerauf, 2008). Of the works
performed by 620 major, metropolitan/urban-community, and school/youth orchestras
in the United States during their 1969-1970 season, two thirds were composed between
1850 and 1970 (Hutchinson & Miller, 1978). In a more recent series of investigations
by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, approximately 9.5% of the works performed
by professional orchestras between 2014 and 2017 were composed after 2000
(O’Bannon, 2014, 2015, 2016). Some may also find it concerning that only 1.8%
(O’Bannon, 2014) and 1.7% (O’Bannon, 2015) of pieces performed by professional
orchestras during their 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons were by female composers.
However, the same studies indicated an increase in professional orchestras’ perfor-
mances of compositions by female composers when only considering living compos-
ers. O’Bannon also revealed that compositions by European composers were the most
frequently programmed by professional orchestras between 2014 and 2017.
The limited scope of prior investigations neglected to determine if compositions by
male composers, from certain nationalities, or from a specific time period also domi-
nated repertoire performed by youth orchestras. Some pedagogues and professional
associations provided lists of repertoire at the appropriate technique level for youth
orchestras (Fried, 1997; Pear, 2007), but the majority of composers on those lists are
male. The League of American Orchestras commissioned reports on the status of
youth orchestra programs (League of American Orchestras, 2007b, 2010b, 2015).
Pope 37

However, determining what pieces youth orchestras actually performed was not in the
scope of those investigations. The lack of information does not reveal if youth orches-
tras follow the suggested lists or if they program diverse works without guidance.
Pickney (2000) reported what pieces youth orchestras at various performance lev-
els played between 1995 and 1999. More recently, the League of American Orchestras
provided a list of youth orchestras’ repertoire. However, the number of participants in
those studies dwindled from 70 in 2007-2008 (League of American Orchestras, 2008)
to only three in the league’s final published report in 2012-2013 (League of American
Orchestras, 2013). An information gap formed due to the diminishing number of par-
ticipants in the League of American Orchestras’ studies on youth orchestras’ reper-
toire. Findings reported by Pickney and the League of American Orchestras only
provide basic information about youth orchestras’ repertoire: composer’s name, title
of the work, performance date, conductor, and soloist’s name (if applicable).
The scope of prior research does not reveal if similar programming issues exist for
youth and professional orchestras. With 53% of youth orchestra musicians being
female (Abbott, 2018) and gender equity and diversity commonly identified as a goal
in youth orchestras’ mission statements (Kartomi, 2007), it is important to determine
if conductors select repertoire that represents their youth orchestras’ diversity. Having
additional information about their repertoire choices may cause youth orchestra con-
ductors to be more mindful of repertoire they select, how repertoire may influence
students’ career choices, and how repertoire may affect students’ musical development
(Pear, 2007).
The purpose of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of repertoire per-
formed by youth orchestras in the United States. More specifically, I sought to deter-
mine what repertoire is most commonly performed by youth orchestras and if
conductors favor literature by specific composers, by composers of a certain gender,
by composers of particular nationalities, or repertoire from a certain time period. The
specific research questions under investigation were as follows:

Research Question 1: What specific pieces do youth orchestras in the United

States frequently perform?
Research Question 2: What composers have their compositions frequently per-
formed by youth orchestras in the United States?
Research Question 3: What nationalities and music time periods are represented
by the repertoire performed by youth orchestras in the United States?
Research Question 4: What composer genders are represented by the repertoire
performed by youth orchestras in the United States?

Method
Before beginning this project, I received approval from my Institutional Review Board
(IRB). The survey was designed to collect information about youth orchestra programs’
2015-2016 season. I created the survey in Google Forms, and the survey questions were
organized by program description and performed repertoire. The survey questions
38 String Research Journal 9

included a mixture of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. I piloted the survey

with a panel of three university-level researchers with experience conducting research
with surveys. To address potential issues specific to terminology used within youth
orchestra programs, two additional panelists who previously worked as youth orchestra
administrators also piloted the survey. The panelists provided terminology and format-
ting suggestions to strengthen the survey’s prompts/questions. The panel also suggested
additional questions about youth orchestra programs’ demographics and performed
repertoire to improve the specificity in participants’ responses. The final version of the
survey was created as an outcome of the five panelists’ recommendations.
To identify potential youth orchestra programs as participants for this project, I
used the 2010 population data provided by the United States’s Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC, 2016) to identify the three cities in each of the 50 states
with the largest populations. I determined if those cities had a youth orchestra program
through various online searches. If one of the three cities with the largest populations
in each state did not have a youth orchestra program, that city was excluded from this
study. To identify another potential participant from that state, I determined what city
from that state had the next largest population and if a youth orchestra program existed.
If a youth orchestra program was identified, I used it as a potential participant in this
study. I was unable to identify three youth orchestra programs in smaller states or
those with limited populations. As a result, I identified the next largest city in the
United States with a youth orchestra program that was not already included in this
study as a potential participant. A total of 150 youth orchestra programs were identi-
fied as potential participants.
To contact the identified youth orchestra programs, I located each program’s web-
site through various online searches. I then located the name and email address of each
program’s administrator or executive director. If an email address was not provided on
the youth orchestra’s website, I conducted various online searches or called the orga-
nization until I was able to identify the administrator’s name and locate his or her
email address. Administrators were emailed an invitation to participate in this survey,
and a link to the survey was included in the email. After I emailed administrators an
invitation to participate in this study, I gave them 3 weeks to complete the survey. A
follow-up email sent to all youth orchestra administrators at the conclusion of those 3
weeks elicited additional responses.
Youth orchestra administrators who participated in this study provided demo-
graphic information about their youth orchestra program. In addition, they gave the
title and composer of all repertoire performed by their youth orchestra program’s pre-
mier ensemble during their 2015-2016 season. Unlike Pickney’s (2000) investigation,
administrators in the current study only provided a list of repertoire performed by
youth orchestra programs’ most advanced ensemble. As a result of some administra-
tors providing abbreviated versions or alternate spellings of repertoire titles and com-
posers’ names, I used Daniels’ Orchestral Music Online (Daniels, 2018) to determine
the formal title and spelling of each piece. Professional orchestra librarians commonly
use Daniels’ online database to determine the formal title, date of composition, com-
poser’s name, composer’s birth and death dates, instrumentation of the work, duration
Pope 39

of the work, and publishers. I also used Daniels’ Orchestral Music Online to determine
the formal spelling of composers’ names and to establish the date of composition for
each piece. For any compositions not included in Daniels’ database, online searches
were used to verify the title of the composition, the composer’s name, and the date of
composition. All data in this study were analyzed with descriptive analyses.

Results
Administrators from 150 youth orchestra programs were invited to participate in this
study, and a 26.53% response rate yielded 39 participants from 23 states. The average
establishment year for participating youth orchestra programs in this study was 1976.
The average enrollment of youth orchestra programs’ premier ensembles was 79.54
(SD = 24.77) musicians, and 94.90% were full orchestras. Youth orchestra programs
also included additional string orchestras (M = 1.59; SD = 1.31) and full orchestras
(M = .92; SD = .93) as components of their curriculums. More than half (53.85%) of
youth orchestra programs offered chamber music ensembles such as string quartets,
brass quintets, and woodwind quintets, but only 23.08% offered an additional wind
ensemble. Less than half (48.72%) of youth orchestra programs required their musi-
cians to participate in their school music programs, and only 38.46% mandated private
lessons for members of their premier ensemble. Youth orchestra programs’ premier
ensembles performed an average of 4.46 (SD = 2.02) concerts during their 2015-2016
season.
The premier orchestras of the 39 programs that participated in this study performed
302 different pieces of music written by 158 different composers during their 2015-
2016 season. Fifty-one pieces received multiple performances, and youth orchestras
performed a total of 384 works when including repeat performances of the same piece.
The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky, Carmen Suite No. 1 by Georges Bizet, and Ruslan
and Ludmilla Overture by Mikhail Glinka were performed the most frequently. All
orchestral repertoire that received multiple performances is shown in Table 1. Table 2
shows all repertoire featuring a soloist(s) that was performed at least twice.
The average year of the compositions was 1904 (shown in Figure 1), and 7.14% of
all pieces were composed after 2000 (M = 2009; Mdn = 2008). Approximately three
quarters of all performed compositions were written between 1850 and 1909 (36.81%)
or after 1910 (40.66%). Only 11.27% of the pieces were composed between 1750 and
1849, and 4.12% were written prior to 1750. Male composers composed most of the
repertoire (99.22%) performed by youth orchestras during their 2015-2016 season.
Female composers only wrote three (0.78%) of the 384 performed works, and none of
their compositions received multiple performances. The three female composers were
Jennifer Higdon, Queen Liliuokalani, and Laura Schwendinger. Eleven of the 158
composers wrote 105 (27.34%) of the 384 compositions performed by youth orches-
tras during their 2015-2016 season. Regardless of composers’ status (living or
deceased), pieces by Tchaikovsky (n = 19), Dvorak, (n = 12), Brahms (n = 11),
Stravinsky (n = 10), Shostakovich (n = 9), Sibelius (n = 9), Barber (n = 7), Berlioz
(n = 7), Bizet (n = 7), Copland (n = 7), and Wagner (n = 7) were the most frequently
40 String Research Journal 9

Table 1.  Most Frequently Performed Orchestral Repertoire by Youth Orchestras.

Title Frequency Composer Year

The Firebird 6 Stravinsky 1919

Carmen Suite No. 1 5 Bizet 1873-1874
Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture 5 Glinka 1837-1842
Die Meistersinger Prelude, WWV 96 4 Wagner 1846-1847
Pictures at an Exhibition 4 Mussorgsky/Ravel 1874
Symphony No. 9, op. 95 4 Dvorak 1893
The Planets 4 Holst 1914-1816
An American in Paris 3 Gershwin 1928
Finlandia, op. 26 3 Sibelius 1900
Scheherazade, op. 35 3 R. Korsakov 1888
Symphonic Dances, op. 45 3 Rachmaninoff 1940
Symphonie Fantastique, op. 14 3 Berlioz 1830
Symphony No. 5, op. 47 3 Shostakovich 1941
Symphony No. 5, op. 64 3 Tchaikovsky 1888
A Christmas Festival 2 Anderson 1950
Academic Festival Overture, op. 80 2 Brahms 1880
Appalachian Spring: Suite 2 Copland 1945
Candide: Overture 2 Bernstein 1955-1956
Cavalleria Rusticana 2 Mascagni 1888
Czech Suite, op. 39, B.93, D major 2 Dvorak 1879
Danzon No. 2 2 Marquez 1994
Festive Overture, op. 96 2 Shostakovich 1954
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, D minor 2 Liszt 1851
Karelia Suite, op. 11 2 Sibelius 1893
Lieutenant Kije Suite, op. 60 2 Prokofiev 1934
Marche Slave, op. 31 2 Tchaikovsky 1876
Nabucco: Overture 2 Verdi 1842
Night on Bald Mountain 2 Mussorgsky/R. Korsakov 1872
Norwegian Dances, op. 35 2 Grieg 1881
Orpheus in the Underworld: Overture 2 Offenbach 1858
Pines of Rome, p. 141 2 Respighi 1923-1924
Roman Carnival 2 Berlioz 1844
Romeo and Juliet Overture Fantasy 2 Tchaikovsky 1880
Star Wars Suite 2 Williams 1977
Stars and Stripes Forever 2 Sousa 1896
Swan Lake Suite, op. 20a 2 Tchaikovsky 1875-1876
Symphony, d. 759, B minor 2 Schubert 1822
Symphony No. 1, D major 2 Mahler 1906
Symphony No. 2, op. 73, D major 2 Brahms 1877
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice 2 Dukas 1897

Note. Rimsky-Korsakov is abbreviated to R. Korsakov. As the 1919 version of The Firebird is the most common, 1919
was used as the composition year.

performed. Repertoire performed by youth orchestras during their 2015-2016 season

was the most commonly written by composers from the United States (22.80%),
Pope 41

Table 2.  Most Frequently Performed Works for Soloist(s) and Orchestra by Youth
Orchestras.

Title Frequency Composer Year

Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043 4 Bach 1730-1731
Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35 4 Tchaikovsky 1878
Cello Concerto in E minor, op. 85 3 Elgar 1919
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, op. 26 3 Bruch 1865-1867
Double Concerto in A minor, op. 102 2 Brahms 1887
Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso in A minor, 2 Saint-Saens 1863a
op. 28
Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 16 2 Grieg 1868
Viola Concerto, BB 128 2 Bartok 1945
Violin Concerto, op. 14 2 Barber 1949
Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35 2 Korngold 1945
Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64 2 Mendelssohn 1845

Note. Only works performed two or more times are included.

aComposition date incorrectly listed as 1963 in Daniels’ Orchestra Music Online (Daniels, 2018).

Russia (18.68%), Germany (14.01%), France (9.34%), Italy (5.77%), and England
(5.77%). Youth orchestras’ premier ensembles performed pieces by 48 different com-
posers from the United States, but only 11 Russian and 17 German composers had
their works performed.
Living composers wrote 54 (14.06%) of the 384 performed works, and 1998 was
the average composition year for pieces by living composers. For repertoire by living
composers, male composers wrote 52 (96.30%) of the pieces while female composers
only wrote two (3.70%) of the works. Blue Cathedral by Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962)
and Animal Rhapsody by Laura Schwendinger (b. 1962) were the only pieces by living
female composers performed by youth orchestras during their 2015-2016 season.
When only considering living composers, works by John Williams (n = 9), Arturo
Marquez (n = 2), and Paul Whear (n = 2) were the most frequently performed. Only
two compositions by living composers, Danzon No. 2 by Arturo Marquez (b. 1950)
and Star Wars Suite by John Williams (b. 1932), received multiple performances.
Living composers who wrote repertoire performed by youth orchestras during 2015-
2016 were from the United States (n = 40), Mexico (n = 3), Australia (n = 2), France
(n = 2), England (n = 2), Armenia (n = 1), Brazil (n = 1), Canada (n = 1), Greece (n
= 1), and Hungary (n = 1).

Discussion
The purpose of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of repertoire per-
formed by youth orchestras in the United States. Findings revealed that The Firebird by
Stravinsky, Carmen Suite No. 1 by Bizet, and Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture by Glinka
were the most commonly performed pieces by youth orchestras during their 2015-2016
42 String Research Journal 9

Figure 1.  Composition year histogram of all repertoire performed by youth orchestras
during 2015-2016.

season. Although these works appeared on Fried’s (1997) suggested repertoire list for
youth orchestras, they were not identified as the most frequently performed pieces in
Pickney’s prior examination of youth orchestras’ repertoire. Pickney (2000) identified
Capriccio Espagnol, op. 34 by Rimsky-Korsakov, Carmen Suite No. 1 by Bizet, and
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, op. 95 by Dvorak as the most commonly performed works
by youth orchestras between 1995 and 1999. Only Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1 appears
in the top three performed compositions in the current study and Pickney’s investiga-
tion. The third most commonly performed work in the current study was Glinka’s
Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture, but it appeared as the 16th most frequently performed
piece in Pickney’s examination. Although The Firebird by Stravinsky was the most
performed composition in the current study, it surprisingly ranked as the 129th most
performed piece in Pickney’s investigation. However, exercise caution when compar-
ing the results of the two studies. Pickney examined repertoire performed by youth
orchestra ensembles at all performance levels; not just youth orchestra programs’ most
advanced ensemble. As a result, many works for intermediate or beginning ensembles
were included in her analysis. The current study only included repertoire performed by
youth orchestra programs’ premier ensembles. The difference in research methods may
explain why The Firebird appeared as the 129th most performed piece in Pickney’s
investigation and as the most commonly performed work in the current study.
Results from this study also indicate that youth orchestras tend to feature string
players as a soloist(s). A violinist, violist, cellist, or double bassist was featured in 10
of the 11 most commonly performed concerti. Only Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A
minor, op. 16 did not feature a string player. Eight of the top 11 compositions for a
Pope 43

soloist(s) and orchestra also featured a violinist(s). The results indicate that string
musicians are more likely to perform a solo with their youth orchestra than woodwind,
brass, percussion, or piano players. This may occur due to the instrumentation of youth
orchestras and that many youth orchestras typically include more string players than
woodwind, brass, percussion, or piano musicians. The prevalence of string soloists
may also result from string players beginning musical instruction before their band
counterparts due to Suzuki programs. It may also be possible that youth orchestra
conductors let unintentional biases toward string players appear when adjudicating
concerto competitions. The intricacies of youth orchestras’ concerto competitions are
also unknown, and additional investigations are needed to provide more insight into
the audition and selection process of soloist(s). Further study may also give more
information about repertoire performed by youth orchestra soloist(s).
When performing compositions by living composers, results from the current
investigation and previous studies by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra indicate
youth and professional orchestras may prefer repertoire from the United States
(O’Bannon, 2014, 2015). A different result was revealed when considering living and
deceased composers. Findings from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s studies
revealed that professional orchestras, when considering living and deceased compos-
ers, most often performed pieces by German and Russian composers. Conversely,
youth orchestras in the current study performed repertoire by composers (living and
deceased) from the United States with the most frequency. A clear reason for this dif-
ference is not apparent. One explanation could be the large amount of repertoire
performed by professional orchestras each season. Professional orchestra conductors
may select more “standard” literature from Germany and Russia to appease audi-
ences. It is also possible that youth orchestra conductors find works by composers
from the United States at a more appropriate technique level for their ensembles than
works by German and Russian composers. To gain better insight into the variables
that may influence youth and professional orchestra conductors’ repertoire selection
process, additional investigations are needed. Those investigations may show how
youth and professional orchestra conductors view the technique demands of reper-
toire from different countries.
Approximately one quarter (27.34%) of the compositions played by youth orches-
tras during 2015-2016 were by 11 of the 158 composers who had their repertoire per-
formed. Compositions by Tchaikovsky and Dvorak were the most frequently performed
by youth orchestras in the current study. These results differ from previous examina-
tions on youth and professional orchestras’ repertoire. Between 2014 and 2017, pro-
fessional orchestras performed compositions by Mozart and Beethoven the most
frequently (O’Bannon, 2014, 2015, 2016). Pickney (2000) found that works by
Mozart, Tchaikovsky, J. S. Bach, Handel, and Beethoven were the most commonly
performed by youth orchestras between 1995 and 1999. The performance frequency of
repertoire by Mozart, J. S. Bach, Handel, and Beethoven in Pickney’s investigation is
not surprising as she examined repertoire performed by youth orchestras at different
performance levels. Many works by Mozart, J. S. Bach, Handel, and Beethoven were
composed for string ensembles or smaller full orchestras.
44 String Research Journal 9

Compositions by Mozart (1.56%) and Beethoven (1.04%) received limited perfor-

mances by youth orchestras in the current investigation. The fewer number of pieces
by Mozart and Beethoven performed by youth orchestras in the current study may
result from the instrumentation of their compositions. Many pieces written prior to
1850 employ reduced woodwind or brass sections, and programming works by Mozart
and Beethoven may limit instrumentalists’ opportunities to participate in their youth
orchestras. The restricted instrumentation of works composed prior to 1850 may
explain why 84.61% of youth orchestras’ repertoire in the current study was composed
after 1850. It may also explain why youth orchestras in the current study most fre-
quently performed compositions by Tchaikovsky and Dvorak. Their works typically
use a full instrumentation.
As youth orchestra programs normally charge students tuition or a fee to participate
in their program, conductors may purposively select repertoire that includes all of the
ensemble’s musicians. Programming fully orchestrated repertoire (e.g., flutes, oboes,
clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, and strings)
allows all students to participate during the rehearsal process of each piece. While
youth orchestras in the current study infrequently performed works by Mozart and
Beethoven, both professional and youth orchestras commonly performed pieces by
Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Stravinsky. Of the top 10 composers who had their reper-
toire performed the most frequently in each of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s
investigations (O’Bannon, 2014, 2015, 2016) and the current study, Tchaikovsky,
Brahms, and Stravinsky were the only composers to appear in each list. No living
composer appeared on all four lists.
Many music critics have expressed concerns over professional orchestras’ limited
performances of compositions by female composers (e.g., Brown, 2018; De Oliveira,
2018; Huizenga, 2018; Midgette, 2017; Service, 2015), and findings from this study
reveal the same concern for youth orchestras. Previous investigations reported that
females only wrote 1.8% (O’Bannon, 2014), 1.7% (O’Bannon, 2015), and 1.3%
(O’Bannon, 2016) of all compositions performed by professional orchestras between
2014 and 2017. The current study revealed that only 0.78% of all compositions per-
formed by youth orchestras during 2015-2016 were by female composers. The number
of compositions by female composers performed by professional and youth orchestras
does not mirror the gender demographics of their ensembles. Female musicians make
up 47% of professional (Doeser, 2016) and 53% youth orchestra ensembles (Abbott,
2018). With approximately half of professional and youth orchestra musicians being
female, conductors may wish to consider programming more works representative of
their ensembles’ gender compositions. Kartomi (2007) identified racial and gender
equity as common objectives included in many youth orchestra programs’ mission
statements. However, repertoire performed by youth orchestras does not appear to
reflect a common goal in their mission statements.
Although professional and youth orchestras’ overall quantity of compositions by
female composers is disappointing, findings from the current study and previous
investigations indicate an increase in performances of pieces by female composers
when only considering living composers (O’Bannon, 2014, 2015, 2016) However,
Pope 45

consider the current results with caution as only three pieces were by female compos-
ers and only two of those were by living female composers. Although any increase in
youth orchestras’ performances of compositions by living female composers is posi-
tive, drastic changes are still needed. Conductors of both youth and professional
orchestras should consider programming more compositions by living or deceased
female composers. Jennifer Higdon was the only female to appear in the top 10 list of
most performed living composers during professional orchestras’ 2014-2015 and
2015-2016 seasons. No living female composer made the top 10 list of most frequently
performed composers in professional orchestras’ 2016-2017 season (O’Bannon, 2016)
or the current investigation.
The limitation of youth orchestra musicians’ technique may explain the large differ-
ence between youth and professional orchestras’ performances of repertoire by living
female composers. Many female composers write for professional (e.g., Higdon,
Larson, Thomas, Tower, Zwilich) or secondary orchestras (e.g., Bernofsky, Gazda,
Griesinger, Monday, Newbold), but it appears few write repertoire specifically for
youth orchestras. Youth orchestra musicians may not have the technique required to
successfully perform compositions that female composers wrote for professional
orchestras, and pieces written for secondary orchestras may lack the needed difficulty.
As a result, youth orchestra conductors may purposively avoid these works for peda-
gogical reasons. It may also be possible that living female composers hesitate to write
compositions for youth orchestras due to the limited number of performances their
pieces may receive. The narrow number of performances may make it financially dis-
advantageous to compose a new work appropriate for youth orchestras. To increase
financial feasibility, perhaps the League of American Orchestras or a conglomerate of
youth orchestra programs could work together to commission a series of compositions
by living female composers. Commissioning a series of pieces at the appropriate tech-
nique level would increase the catalog of youth orchestra repertoire by female com-
posers. Both the Tallahassee Youth Orchestras and the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra
recently commissioned works by living female composers. In 2017, the Tallahassee
Youth Orchestras commissioned Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, the 1983 Pulitzer Prize winner
in music, to compose a piece for a collaboration with a local ballet company. The
Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra started a composer-in-residence program in 2017 for
university composition students, and an undergraduate female composer was selected
in each year of the program’s existence. To identify female composers, youth orchestra
conductors should also consult Midgette’s (2017) list of the top 35 female composers,
Raskaukas’s (2017) list of 10 female composers who are changing contemporary clas-
sical music, or the Composer Diversity Database (2018). These lists include living
composers who could write a new work and deceased composers that conductors
could research to identify previously composed pieces.
Commissioning works from female composers may also increase youth orchestras’
performances of compositions written after 2000. Only 7.14% of youth orchestras’
repertoire in 2015-2016 was composed after 2000, and none of the pieces composed
after 2000 received multiple performances. One possible explanation is the cost to rent
or purchase newly composed works. Youth orchestras may not have sufficient funds to
46 String Research Journal 9

purchase or rent new compositions. As a result of limited funds, youth orchestra con-
ductors may avoid selecting newly composed literature and consciously program stan-
dard repertoire their organization already owns. Hutchinson and Miller (1978)
provided another possible explanation. They theorized that the large amount of new
compositions limited the number of times each piece was performed. Their theory
might explain why youth orchestra conductors and musicians may lack awareness of
new compositions appropriate for youth orchestras. A focus by professional orchestras
to repeat performances of new works every few years may heighten students’ familiar-
ity with them. Youth orchestra students’ increased familiarity may strengthen their
desire to perform new compositions and inspire them to ask their conductors about
performing new repertoire.

Conclusion
Music education pedagogues have discussed the importance of choosing repertoire for
student ensembles for many years (e.g., Apfelstadt, 2000; Fried, 1997; Pear, 2007).
Merle J. Isaac, one of the most influential composers/arrangers of school repertoire in
the 20th century stated the following during his 1981 speech at the National School
Orchestra Association summer conference in Holland, Michigan:

I think you will all agree with me when I say that selecting the right music for an orchestra
is one of the most important responsibilities of the orchestra director. Selecting the right
music—at the right time—involves the likes and dislikes of the teacher, the students, and
the community.

Fried (1997) suggested the success of a youth orchestra’s entire season could be deter-
mined by their repertoire. Very few students join a youth orchestra to perform specific
repertoire, but instead, they trust program administrators to choose appropriate and
inspiring repertoire (Pear, 2007). This duty should not be taken lightly. In addition to
finding repertoire at the appropriate technique level for their ensembles, youth orches-
tra conductors should also consider non-musical characteristics of the music.
To address the lack of diversity in repertoire, youth orchestra conductors should
consider making a conscious decision to program literature by non-male composers
from different countries and time periods. Approximately three quarters of all repertoire
performed by youth orchestras during 2015-2016 was from the United States, Russia,
Germany, France, Italy, or England. Very little repertoire was from nations that produce
non-Western music. The tiny amount of compositions by female composers performed
by youth orchestras during 2015-2016 also indicate a substantial lack of a gender diver-
sity. To improve gender equity in the performed repertoire, youth orchestra conductors
should identity and program repertoire by female composers. Compositions by female
composers can include previously written repertoire, new publications, or commissions
specifically composed for youth orchestras. Programming newly written works by
female composers would also increase the number of 21st-century compositions per-
formed by youth orchestras. Performing recently composed pieces may also generate
Pope 47

opportunities for youth orchestra musicians to collaborate with living composers.

Collaborations with composers from different countries may also increase youth
orchestra musicians’ knowledge of other cultures and create positive musical experi-
ences for youth orchestra students. Positive musical experiences can promote an endur-
ing love of the arts (Lamont, Hargreaves, Marshall, & Tarrant, 2003) and motivate
students to continue their participation in community ensembles (Scherber, 2014).
National organizations such as the League of American Orchestras, the National
Association for Music Education, the American String Teachers Association, and the
College Orchestra Directors’ Association can help increase the diversity in youth
orchestras’ repertoire by collaborating with the administrators of the Composer
Diversity Database. An alliance between those organizations could produce a robust
database of youth orchestra–appropriate compositions by female, living, and minority
composers from different countries. A database supported by professional organiza-
tions may make it easier for youth orchestra conductors to identify new and old com-
positions by non-male composers from a variety of countries. They may also consider
allowing their musicians to assist in selecting repertoire. Involving students in the
selection process may allow youth orchestra students to pick repertoire representative
of and relevant to their lives.

Author’s Note
David A. Pope is now at Baldwin Wallace University.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship,
and/or publication of this article.

Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of
this article.

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