As a part of Women's History Month, KMFA highlights the contributions of women performers, conductors, and composers to the world classical music. Dianne Donovan connected with American composer Jennifer Higdon via Skype. Please note: The audio quality of parts of this interview is poor. You may need to adjust your speaker volume.

"In the early days of my composing career, I often got the comment from audience members, 'that doesn't sound like a piece that a woman would write,'" says Jennifer Higdon. Today, she is one of the most performed American contemporary composers. Higdon has composed for some of the most highly regarded music organizations in the world, like the Cleveland Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Dianne Donovan talks with Higdon about the internal and external barriers that women face in the classical music world. Higdon thinks the issue is not that there are too few women composers, but that they are not getting programs, and are hitting a glass ceiling. She credits her current success to a premiere early on at the League of American Orchestras - this put her in front of orchestra and ensemble artistic directors and administrators. She encourages people to, "seek out women and young composers," and as more people speak up and recommend women composers, she sees the tide slowly changing to include more women.

As far as the future of classical music, she says, "New music ensembles that are out there right now are doing really well. They're actually in a healthy state - they are probably the one performing arts organization that that's in the healthiest state. I think there is this whole generation that identifies with music being written for them now." She continues, "I think to get the young people in, you're going to have some more inventive programming and the new music seems to be a great way to go."

Jennifer Higdon's Viola Concerto premiered earlier this month with the Curtis Chamber Orchestra, and her first-ever opera will premiere later this year. More information can be found at jenniferhigdon.com.

Photo credit: Sarah R. Bloom | jenniferhigdon.com