|
The Representation of Women in European and American Orchestras Update 2009 |
|
In November 2005, Regina Himmelbauer surveyed the male/female ratios in 35 major orchestras in Europe and the USA. In December 2009, another author (who wishes to remain anonymous) re-surveyed the orchestras as part of her work for an academic degree. In the three tables below, she shows the changes in the representation of women that occurred between 2005 and 2009. She has done excellent work. I hope that someday her name can be included here. She and her professors are to be commended. See also her survey of 20 top orchestras in the United Kingdom. |
|
| Table 1. Orchestra | % women in 2005 | % women in 2009 | new position | position in 2005 | position change | percentage increase/ decrease |
| New York Philharmonic Orchestra | 40,59% | 48.91% | 35 | 34 | + | 8.32% |
| Orchester der Oper Zürich | 38,79% | 45.22% | 34 | 33 | + | 6.43% |
| Orchestre national d'ile de France | 42,86% | 43.62% | 33 | 35 | + | 0.76% |
| Brucknerorchester Linz | 35,96% | 39.83% | 32 | 31 | + | 3.87% |
| Gürzenich Orchester (Köln) | 28,23% | 37.50% | 31 | 18 | + | 9.27% |
| Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg | 30,00% | 37.21% | 30 | 22 | + | 7.21% |
| Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra | 37,76% | 36.26% | 29 | 32 | - | -1.50% |
| Concertgebouworkest | 28,95% | 35.04% | 28 | 20 | + | 6.09% |
| Oslo Filharmonien | 32,04% | 34.95% | 27 | 26 | + | 2.91% |
| Staatsorchester Stuttgart | 32,80% | 34.65% | 26 | 28 | + | 1.85% |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra | 27,88% | 34.34% | 25 | 17 | + | 6.46% |
| Birmingham Symphony Orchestra | 29,49% | 33.77% | 24 | 21 | + | 4.28% |
| Atlanta Symphony | 34,69% | 33.33% | 23 | 30 | - | -1.36% |
| Orchester der Komischen Oper Berlin | 32,74% | 33.33% | 22 | 27 | + | 0.59% |
| Radio Symphonieorchester Wien | 32,98% | 31.52% | 21 | 29 | - | -1.46% |
| Cleveland Symphony Orchestra | 30,93% | 31.31% | 20 | 23 | + | 0.38% |
| Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich | 31,00% | 31.11% | 19 | 24 | + | 0.11% |
| The Philadelphia Orchestra | 26,73% | 31.07% | 18 | 15 | + | 4.34% |
| Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg | 25,61% | 29.63% | 17 | 14 | + | 4.02% |
| Orchester der Volksoper Wien | 31,18% | 29.35% | 16 | 25 | - | -1.83% |
| Münchner Philharmoniker | 23,42% | 28.95% | 15 | 9 | + | 5.53% |
| Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester | 25,00% | 28.41% | 14 | 13 | + | 3.41% |
| London Symphony Orchestra | 26,80% | 28.42% | 13 | 16 | + | 1.62% |
| Bayerisches Staatsorchester | 25,00% | 27.56% | 12 | 12 | 2.56% | |
| Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin | 20,97% | 27.50% | 11 | 7 | + | 6.53% |
| Gewandhausorchester Leipzig | 24,42% | 27.43% | 10 | 10 | 3.01% | |
| Boston Symphony Orchestra | 28,72% | 26.14% | 9 | 19 | - | -2.58% |
| Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks | 21,15% | 24.04% | 8 | 8 | 2.89% | |
| Dresdner Philharmonie | 24,77% | 23.58% | 7 | 11 | - | -1.19% |
| Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden | 15,69% | 21.23% | 6 | 6 | 5.54% | |
| Berliner Philharmoniker | 13,01% | 13.82% | 5 | 5 | 0.81% | |
| Wiener Symphoniker | 9,45% | 13.39% | 4 | 4 | 3.94% | |
| Ceská filharmonie | 8,33% | 12.40% | 3 | 3 | 4.07% | |
| Orchester der Staatsoper Wien | 3,52% | 5.48% | 2 | 2 | 1.96% | |
| Wiener Philharmoniker | 0,83% | 2.42% | 1 | 1 | 1.59% | |
| Average increase (in percentage) | 2.86% |
| In four years the overall increase in women has been 3.91%, as shown in table 2. |
|
Table 2. Orchestra (with 2005 ranking number) |
Women % in 2005 |
Women % in 2009 |
| Orchestre national d'ile de France 35 | 42,86% | 43.62% |
| New York Philharmonic Orchestra 34 | 40,59% | 48.91% |
| Orchester der Oper Zürich 33 | 38,79% | 45.22% |
| Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra 32 | 37,76% | 36.26% |
| Brucknerorchester Linz 31 | 35,96% | 39.83% |
| Atlanta Symphony 30 | 34,69% | 33.33% |
| Radio Symphonieorchester Wien 29 | 32,98% | 31.52% |
| Staatsorchester Stuttgart 28 | 32,80% | 34.65% |
| Orchester der Komischen Oper Berlin 27 | 32,74% | 33.33% |
| Oslo Filharmonien 26 | 32,04% | 34.95% |
| Orchester der Volksoper Wien 25 | 31,18% | 29.35% |
| Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich 24 | 31,00% | 31.11% |
| Cleveland Symphony Orchestra 23 | 30,93% | 31.31% |
| Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg 22 | 30,00% | 37.21% |
| Birmingham Symphony Orchestra 21 | 29,49% | 33.77% |
| Concertgebouworkest 20 | 28,95% | 35.04% |
| Boston Symphony Orchestra 19 | 28,72% | 26.14% |
| Gürzenich Orchester (Köln) 18 | 28,23% | 37.50% |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra 17 | 27,88% | 34.34% |
| London Symphony Orchestra 16 | 26,80% | 28.42% |
| The Philadelphia Orchestra 15 | 26,73% | 31.07% |
| Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg 14 | 25,61% | 29.63% |
| Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester 13 | 25,00% | 28.41% |
| Bayerisches Staatsorchester 12 | 25,00% | 27.56% |
| Dresdner Philharmonie 11 | 24,77% | 23.58% |
| Gewandhausorchester Leipzig 10 | 24,42% | 27.43% |
| Münchner Philharmoniker 9 | 23,42% | 28.95% |
| Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks 8 | 21,15% | 24.04% |
| Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin 7 | 20,97% | 27.50% |
| Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden 6 | 15,69% | 21.23% |
| Berliner Philharmoniker 5 | 13,01% | 13.82% |
| Wiener Symphoniker 4 | 9,45% | 13.39% |
| Ceská filharmonie 3 | 8,33% | 12.40% |
| Orchester der Staatsoper Wien 2 | 3,52% | 5.48% |
| Wiener Philharmoniker 1 | 0,83% | 2.42% |
| Average number of women in orchestras | 26.09% | 30.00% |
| Table 3 includes the number of men and women players. |
|
Table 3. Data in chronological order as per 2005 survey |
Data as of November 23, 2005 |
Data as of December 29, 2009 |
||||
| Orchestras (ordered in % of women according to the first survey) | Total players | Men | Women | Total players | Men |
Women |
| Orchestre national d'ile de France | 91 | 57,14% | 42,86% | 94 | 56.38% | 43.62% |
| New York Philharmonic Orchestra | 101 | 59,41% | 40,59% | 92 | 51.09% | 48.91% |
| Orchester der Oper Zürich | 116 | 61,21% | 38,79% | 115 | 54.78% | 45.22% |
| Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra | 98 | 62,24% | 37,76% | 91 | 63.74% | 36.26% |
| Brucknerorchester Linz | 114 | 64,04% | 35,96% | 118 | 60.17% | 39.83% |
| Atlanta Symphony | 98 | 65,31% | 34,69% | 93 | 66.66% | 33.33% |
| Radio Symphonieorchester Wien | 94 | 67,02% | 32,98% | 92 | 68.48% | 31.52% |
| Staatsorchester Stuttgart | 125 | 67,20% | 32,80% | 127 | 65.35% | 34.65% |
| Orchester der Komischen Oper Berlin | 113 | 67,26% | 32,74% | 105 | 66.66% | 33.33% |
| Oslo Filharmonien | 103 | 67,96% | 32,04% | 103 | 65.05% | 34.95% |
| Orchester der Volksoper Wien | 93 | 68,82% | 31,18% | 92 | 70.65% | 29.35% |
| Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich | 100 | 69,00% | 31,00% | 90 | 68.89% | 31.11% |
| Cleveland Symphony Orchestra | 97 | 69,07% | 30,93% | 99 | 68.69% | 31.31% |
| Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg | 120 | 70,00% | 30,00% | 129 | 62.78% | 37.21% |
| Birmingham Symphony Orchestra | 78 | 70,51% | 29,49% | 77 | 66.23% | 33.77% |
| Concertgebouworkest | 114 | 71,05% | 28,95% | 117 | 64.96% | 35.04% |
| Boston Symphony Orchestra | 94 | 71,28% | 28,72% | 88 | 73.86% | 26.14% |
| Gürzenich Orchester (Köln) | 124 | 71,77% | 28,23% | 120 | 62.50% | 37.50% |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra | 104 | 72,12% | 27,88% | 99 | 65.66% | 34.34% |
| London Symphony Orchestra | 97 | 73,20% | 26,80% | 95 | 71.58% | 28.42% |
| The Philadelphia Orchestra | 101 | 73,27% | 26,73% | 103 | 68.93% | 31.07% |
| Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg | 82 | 74,39% | 25,61% | 81 | 70.37% | 29.63% |
| Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester | 88 | 75,00% | 25,00% | 88 | 71.59% | 28.41% |
| Bayerisches Staatsorchester | 124 | 75,00% | 25,00% | 127 | 72.44% | 27.56% |
| Dresdner Philharmonie | 109 | 75,23% | 24,77% | 106 | 76.42% | 23.58% |
| Gewandhausorchester Leipzig | 172 | 75,58% | 24,42% | 175 | 72.57% | 27.43% |
| Münchner Philharmoniker | 111 | 76,58% | 23,42% | 114 | 71.05% | 28.95% |
| Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks | 104 | 78,85% | 21,15% | 104 | 75.96% | 24.04% |
| Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin | 124 | 79,03% | 20,97% | 120 | 72.50% | 27.50% |
| Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden | 153 | 84,31% | 15,69% | 146 | 78.77% | 21.23% |
| Berliner Philharmoniker | 123 | 86,99% | 13,01% | 123 | 86.18% | 13.82% |
| Wiener Symphoniker | 127 | 90,55% | 9,45% | 127 | 86.61% | 13.39% |
| Ceská filharmonie | 120 | 91,67% | 8,33% | 121 | 87.60% | 12.40% |
| Orchester der Staatsoper Wien | 142 | 96,48% | 3,52% | 146 | 94.52% | 5.48% |
| Wiener Philharmoniker | 121 | 99,17% | 0,83% | 124 | 97.58% | 2.42% |
| Averages: | 113 | 73,91% | 26,09% | 113 | 69.99% | 30.01% |