Over 120 musicians convened last Thursday, Feb. 22, in an attempt to beat the Guinness World Record for the "Longest Acoustic Music Live-Streamed Concert." The program itself was set to continue for 26 hours straight comprising a varying spectrum of music, from pop to classical.
That said, every piece had one thing in common: all of it was written by either a woman or a non-binary composer.
Under this banner, a cavalcade of world-class performers answered the call to participate in the momentous attempt, including former Iron Maiden keyboardist Tony Moore, pianist Antonio Oyarzábal, soprano Carolyn Sampson, and baritone Roderick Williams.
The primary contributor, however, is the Donne, Women in Music charitable foundation, which endeavors to bring about inclusive representation for women involved in all facets of the music industry. This over-a-day-long concert is another extension of that mission.
'Let HER MUSIC Play,' a 26-Hour-Long Celebration of Inclusion in Music
The world record program is aptly dubbed "Let HER MUSIC Play," which was the brainchild of soprano singer and Donne's founder, Gabriella Di Laccio.
In an interview with Classic FM, Di Laccio said that she wanted to "contribute to change" by putting together a movement that transcended herself, her organization, and even classical music as a whole. Thus, the goal to break a world record was set.
As per the composer, her primary inspiration for the idea can be traced back to 2018, when she came across an expansive pre-owned encyclopedia that comprised the names of over 5000 women composers.
She later uploaded all of the names to an online directory she dubs "The Big List."
Di Laccio said that this discovery made her realize just how many female composers are not given their deserved dues, as many of them remain obscured throughout time.
In that same year, after performing for over 15 top orchestras across the world, she conducted a self-initiated survey and found that only two percent of all the pieces these institutions played were made by women.
From there, the survey would become an annual thing, with the line of inquiries eventually revealing that the percentage of women-made music being played is slowly on the rise, however, it is still collectively low as only eight percent are being featured across 100 orchestras worldwide.
"I find the progress very slow," Di Laccio expressed. "And I don't see the reason. Nobody will convince me it needs to be slow."
