Press Release | Chicago Sinfonietta receives Donne award

Dedicated to achieving gender equality in the music industry,
the Donne Foundation creates impact through education and inspiration, and
projects such as Donne, Women in Music. The Foundation’s latest research
“Equality & Diversity in Global Repertoire” on repertoire presented by 111
select orchestras from 31 countries during the 2021-22 season found that of
those organizations, Chicago Sinfonietta was “the only orchestra to achieve
50/50 gender equality with an amazing diversity of composers as well.”
As a result of the findings, Donne has selected Chicago Sinfonietta as the first
recipient of its first Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Champions Award.

“I am delighted to present this award to the Chicago Sinfonietta and their Music
Director Mei Ann-Chen. Their motto is to be innovative, bold, and inclusive and
they are the real evidence that it can be done! I hope the world is watching and
that many will follow their incredible inspiration.” Stated Gabriella Di Laccio,
soprano and founder of the Donne Foundation.

“The Chicago Sinfonietta has been a pioneering force championing musicians
of color and women for years, and it is especially wonderful when such efforts
are recognized officially,” said Maestra Mei-Ann Chen. “Special thanks to the
hard work of Gabriella Di Laccio and Donne, Women in Music for its
contribution collecting repertoire done by orchestras and especially for its
inaugural EDI Champions Award.”

Executive Director Blake-Anthony Johnson stated, “Our Freeman
Fellowships, the appointment of Maestra Chen as Music Director, Kathryn
Bostic as our inaugural Artist in Residence, and our acclaimed Project W
highlighting contemporary, diverse, women composers are just a few examples
of Chicago Sinfonietta’s commitment to equity & representation within the arts.
Our push to make the universal language of music universally accessible has
been our mission from day one, and we are pleased to be honored for our
legacy but most importantly our dedication to the work ahead.”

ABOUT THE DONNE FOUNDATION
With a mission to create a more equitable music industry, the Donne
Foundation is a charitable foundation that celebrates, advances, and amplifies
women in music. Founded by the award-winning soprano Gabriella Di Laccio,
named one of the BBC’s 100 most inspirational and influential women in the
world in November 2018, the Foundation curates “The Big List” of female
composers and their works (over 5,000 strong and growing), education and
research projects, and multi-media content, podcasts, tailored programmes
and playlists, and more.

The Foundation’s Partners include the Arts Council England, Scala Radio,
PRS Foundation, St. Benedict’s School, Drama Musica, and Private
Goodness.

Further information, including the 2022 report and more, may be found on the
Donne website: https://donne-uk.org//research-new/