Berlin, Germany – There are moments when the air feels thick with change. In Berlin, the city’s walls now carry the hum of long-forgotten voices, the melodies of women whose music was lost to time. Marlene Brüggen, a concert organizer, found herself awakening to this silence in 2021. A single moment—a podcast about gender equality in music—pulled back a veil she hadn’t even known was there.
Suddenly, the blind spots became glaring. She scanned her own festival’s lineup, nearly 200 concerts strong, and found women composers almost entirely absent. “It was as if my eyes were opened for the first time,” she reflected. The realization lingered in her, calling her toward a greater purpose.
Orchestra’s Bold Step Toward Gender Equality
By year’s end, Brüggen had joined the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin as director of artistic planning. The vision she carried into those halls was nothing short of revolutionary. Alongside Robin Ticciati, the orchestra’s musical director, and Thomas Schmidt-Ott, its general director, she proposed something that would challenge centuries of tradition: Every concert in the 2023-24 season would feature at least one work by a woman composer.
The orchestra responded to this bold decision with a clear message. Posters across Berlin declared: “No concert without a woman composer!” In doing so, they began not only to rewrite their programs but also to rewrite history.
Recovering Voices Silenced by Centuries
For generations, women composers have existed in the margins, their works overshadowed by their male counterparts. And now, with a fierce determination, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester aimed to right that wrong. But the path was neither smooth nor simple.
The scarcity of works by female composers—especially those predating the 20th century—was a profound reminder of the sexism that had long shaped the world of classical music. Brüggen, in her search for pieces, often found herself holding little more than a name or a title. Scores were incomplete, and recordings, when they existed, were hard to come by. The task of persuading guest conductors and soloists to take on these rarely performed pieces became a labor of love.
Yet, this wasn’t just about filling a gap in the repertoire. As Brüggen explained, “The selection process that occurred for men throughout centuries simply did not happen for women. Now, it is our social responsibility to make sure it does.”
A Symphony Divided: Critics and Champions
The decision to incorporate women composers into every concert wasn’t without controversy. Inside the orchestra, reactions ranged from enthusiasm to skepticism, as musicians confronted both the beauty of unfamiliar works and the challenge of breaking with tradition. Outside the concert halls, opposition was fierce. A far-right blog derided Brüggen and Schmidt-Ott as “social engineers,” accusing them of being a “threat to society.”
But even as the critics raged, the public responded in kind. Ticket sales soared, though the orchestra has yet to confirm whether the rise in attendance is directly tied to this groundbreaking initiative.
Unsuk Chin, whose Clarinet Concerto was performed by the orchestra in January, downplayed the debate over gender, emphasizing that quality is the only criterion that should matter. “It doesn’t concern me whether the composer is male or female or where they come from. If the music is good, it deserves to be played,” she said.
Looking Ahead: A Stage for Women Composers
The orchestra’s efforts don’t stop with just small gestures. The coming seasons promise more extensive and ambitious programming, featuring longer works by women, including Amy Beach’s Gaelic Symphony, as well as compositions from Black female composers like Tania León and Jessie Montgomery.
For Brüggen and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, this isn’t simply about ticking a diversity box. It’s about creating a lasting legacy, one that opens doors for new voices while still honoring the tradition of those who came before. “We want to reach new audiences,” said Brüggen. “Not to alienate our long-standing supporters but to expand our community, to bring more voices to the table.”
A Song That Will Not Be Silenced
The halls of Berlin now reverberate with new harmonies. Women’s voices, silenced for so long, have found their place in the symphony at last. The past may have drowned them out, but today, their music sings in every note, reminding us all that the future of classical music is broad, deep, and full of possibility.
As the orchestra moves forward, it carries with it the weight of history and the promise of progress. These are not just concerts—they are moments of justice, of reclaiming what was lost, and of setting a new, inclusive standard for the world of classical music.
The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester has made its stand. And as the season unfolds, one thing is clear: this is only the beginning of a new era, one where the voices of women in music will be heard, celebrated, and never again forgotten.
