LibGuides: Diversify Your Repertoire in Music: Digital Databases and Resources

Digital Resources to Diversify Your Repertoire

African American Composer Initiative (AACI)
African American Composer Initiative (AACI) has developed a repertoire resource for performing musicians. Sections include works for pianists, for singers, and for chamber players.
...And We Were Heard
This site gives underrepresented composers a platform to have their music heard. Composers that submit works to … And We Were Heard are matched with top-notch wind bands and engage in collaborative recording sessions. The resulting audio tracks are hosted on our site along with innovative ideas of how to support diverse voices in music.
Alliance for Women Film Composers
A community of composers and colleagues who strive to support and celebrate the work of women composers through advocacy and education.
DONNE: Women in Music
Learn stories of so many neglected women composers. Contains live interviews with women composers making their mark in the music world.
Institute for Composer Diversity
The Institute for Composer Diversity works to encourage the discovery, study, and performance of music written by composers from underrepresented groups.
The Kapralova Society: Women in Music
An affiliate member of the International Alliance for Women in Music, the Society's mission is to promote interest in Kapralova and other women in music through scholarly research, education, and special projects, often in partnership with schools of music, public broadcasters, publishing houses, and other organizations.
Music by Black Composers (MBC)
Dedicated to helping to bring greater diversity to the ranks of classical music performers, composers, and audiences by making the music of Black composers available to everyone. MBC’s Living Composers Directory is designed for those seeking to commission; for performers, conductors, and concert programmers seeking existing music; and for other researchers and scholars of contemporary classical music.
Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy
We celebrate the vast range of orchestral music by women, and encourage orchestras to program it! All around us people are suddenly aware of long-ingrained sexist practices, and questioning their entrenched status. We work to reveal the centuries of music by women, much of it lost to history due to gender bias – and help provide information and resources to make that music available.

Chamber Music America: The Composers Equity Project
The Composers Equity Project is a Database of African/Black, Latinx, Asian/South Asian, Arab/Middle Eastern, and Native American, Women, and Gender Non-Conforming Composers.
Composer Diversity Project: Works Diversity Database
The Institute for Composer Diversity is committed to the celebration, education, and advocacy of music created by composers from historically underrepresented genders, racial, ethnic, and cultural heritages, and sexual orientations as well as disabled composers.
Kassia Database: The Women's Art Song Database
The Kassia Database is a resource geared toward aiding singers, instructors of voice, pianists, researchers, and music lovers to discover and celebrate art song by women composers. The database includes songs from the Baroque period through the 21st century, and have been categorized by level, voice type, language, composer, and composer dates
Many Many Women: An Index of Over 1000 Composers, Improvisers, and Sonic Artists
Focuses on women making various kinds of experimental/avant garde music. Some of these artists may also work within more mainstream forms, but they are included here because of their other work that is more challenging.
Mexican Composers, Living
This list features contemporary self-published Mexican composers, who were either born in Mexico or had the large part of their musical upbringing there. Because these are self-published composers, an email and/or personal website link is listed for each as a point of contact.
No Broken Links
Discover solo and chamber repertoire for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, and horn. The directories focus specifically on the work of women, transgender & gender non-conforming individuals, and/or Black, Indigenous, or persons of color.

BIPOC and Women Composers (PDF)
Recently Published Works by BIPOC and Women Composers looks at pieces published in what we consider the contemporary period (1945-current) of music history. Composers are organized by identity and then alphabetically last name. There are often direct links to OBIS records or publisher information. In addition to the name of the composer and the title of the piece, they provide instrumentation and some additional notes.
Adapted from “Music Received” in Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, Vol. 77, No. 3, Compiled by Kathleen A. Abromeit.
Latin American Women (PDF)
Recently Published Works by Latin American Women looks at pieces published in what
we consider the contemporary period (1945-current) of music history. Composers are
organized alphabetically by last name. There are often direct links to OBIS records or publisher websites. In addition to the name of the composer and the title of the piece, they provide instrumentation and some additional notes.
Adapted from “Music Received” in Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, Vol. 78, No. 2, Compiled by Kathleen A. Abromeit.
Musical Settings of Black Poetry (PDF)
Recently Published Musical Settings of Black Poetry is great if you want to learn more about Black poets and Black composers. This list is organized by poet in bold text, then composers and the title of their piece. There is additional information like instrumentation and a link to the OBIS record or publication website. Note, that while all poets in this index are Black, not all composers are.
Adapted from “Music Received” in Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, Vol. 79, No. 3, Compiled by Gwen Gemmell and Kathleen A. Abromeit
Queer Composers (PDF)
Queer Composers is a database that shares works by composers who identify as Queer or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. There are links to the OBIS record and additional information about each piece including instrumentation, sometimes date of
publication and some notes about the piece.
Adapted from “Music Received” in Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, Vol. 77, No. 4 and Vol. 78, No. 1, Compiled by Kathleen A. Abromeit
Self-published Mexican Composers (PDF)
Works by Contemporary Self-Published Mexican Composers share the composers name and title of their works as well as the instrumentation. All composers listed in this database are considered contemporary (1945-current). There are often links to their publications and personal websites or ways to contact the composer and purchase a score.
Adapted from “Music Received” in Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, Vol. 80, No. 4, Compiled by Katharina Mueller
Ukrainian Publishers and Dedicatees (PDF)
This is a great list for anyone looking to add more Ukrainian composers and musical topics to their repertoire. It is split into two categories, a list of Ukrainian composers with titles and instrumentations, and a list of compositions dedicated to the people of Ukraine (also includes composer name and title of composition).
Adapted from “Music Received” in Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, Vol. 80, No. 2, Compiled by Kathleen A. Abromeit