The Women's Philharmonic (TWP) was a San Francisco-based, professional orchestra founded by Miriam Abrams, Elizabeth Seja Min and Nan Washburn in 1981 and disbanded in 2004.

History

Originally known as the Bay Area Women's Philharmonic, the orchestra's repertoire consisted almost entirely of works by more than 150 women, including more than 130 premiere performances and more than 40 commissions. Its mission was "to change the face of what is played in every concert hall by incorporating works by women composers into the orchestral repertoire." TWP's long list of accomplishments includes multiple awards for Adventurous Programming from ASCAP and the American Symphony Orchestra League.

In 2008, the Women's Philharmonic Advocacy was formed "in order to recognize the achievement of The Women's Philharmonic (1980-2004) over their 24 years of activity, to build on this work by advocating for the performance of women composers by orchestras and ensembles, to address the place of women composers (historic and contemporary) in today's repertoire of orchestras and ensembles in the US and internationally, and to present information that highlights the shortage of programming of works by women; the heritage of The Women's Philharmonic emphasizes that this should and can be corrected."

Remaining in existence is the Community Women's Orchestra

Community Women's Orchestra

The Community Women's Orchestra , based in Oakland, California, was founded by conductor Nan Washburn in 1985 as a community adjunct to The Women's Philharmonic , a now-defunct, professional orchestra....

, which was founded in 1985 by Nan Washburn as an adjunct to The Women's Philharmonic.

Music directors

• Elizabeth Seja Min (music director, 1981–1985)
• Nan Washburn (artistic director and associate conductor, 1981–1990)
• JoAnn Falletta
  JoAnn Falletta
  JoAnn Falletta is an American classical musician and orchestral conductor.Falletta was educated at the Mannes College of Music and The Juilliard School in New York City...
  
   (music director, 1986–1997)
• Apo Hsu
  Apo Hsu
  Apo Hsu is a conductor born in Taiwan and resident of both Taiwan and the United States. Hsu served as music director of the National Taiwan Normal University Symphony Orchestra and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra in Springfield, Missouri...
  
   (music director, 1997–2003)

Guest conductors

• Ebrina Alfonso
• Gisèle Ben-Dor
  Gisele Ben-Dor
  Gisele Ben-Dor is an American Israeli orchestra conductor of Uruguayan origin.-International Orchestra Conductor:Gisele Ben-Dor was born in Uruguay and immigrated to Israel in 1973. She graduated from the Rubin Academy of Music, Tel Aviv University and the Yale School of Music, also studying with...
  
  
• Sarah Caldwell
  Sarah Caldwell
  Sarah Caldwell was a notable American opera conductor, impresario, and stage director of opera.- Life :Caldwell was born in Maryville, Missouri, and grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was a child prodigy and gave public performances on the violin by the time she was ten years old...
  
  
• Ann Krinitsky
• J. Carla Lemon
• Jadine Louie
• Anne Manson
• Kathleen McGuire
• Frances Steiner
  Frances Steiner
  Frances Steiner is an American conductor, cellist and professor emeritus. Steiner is known for her advocacy of American music, especially works by women and African-Americans, and for her expertise in 18th century performance practices...
  
  

Recordings

• Baroquen Treasures (1993)
• The Women's Philharmonic Recordings
• The Women's Philharmonic: Mendelssohn, Schumann (1993, Koch International Classics 7169)
• The Music of Chen Yi (1997)
• The Music of Florence Price (2001, Koch International Classics 7518)

Further reading

• Blomdahl, Bohorquez, and Denton."The Women's Philharmonic"
• Yip, Alethea. "Symphony Conductor: Picking up the baton at the Women's Philharmonic", AsianWeek, May 30 - June 4, 1997.

External links

• American Symphony Orchestra League official website
• Community Women's Orchestra official website
• Women's Philharmonic Advocacy official website