The Women's Philharmonic

The Women's Philharmonic had the dual functions of promoting the careers of women musicians and performing music by women. The group made several recordings and spawned the career of conductor Jo Ann Falletta, as well as various instrumentalists. The Women's Philharmonic was founded in 1981 by Miriam Abrams, Elizabeth Seja Min, and Nan Washburn. The Philharmonic's stated goals were to advocate for the performance of works by women composers, to address the place of women composers in the orchestral repertory, and to inform the public about the shortage of works by women in orchestral programming. The Philharmonic released its debut album, Baroquen Treasures, on the Newport Classics label in 1990. The Music of Florence Price was one of the first recordings devoted to that increasingly popular African American composer, and it has been reissued multiple times. Under financial pressure, the Women's Philharmonic disbanded in 2004.