The Columbia University School of Music will present a symposium on March 25, 2023, titled “Operatic Feminisms,” which aims to explore the possibilities for feminist opera studies and the role of women in opera in the 21st century. The symposium will include public panels, workshops, and roundtable discussions featuring scholarly works and cross-disciplinary exchanges.

The New Opera Workshop and Columbia Collegium Musicum will present works by women, both historical and contemporary, and the symposium will conclude with the world premiere of three new operatic works.

Several distinguished speakers will participate in the symposium, including:

• Eric Balboni, a Professor of Practice in Music at Anna Maria College and Fairfield University.
• Eugenia Forteza, Founder and Lead Editor at 360° of Opera and a staff writer at Classical Singer Magazine.
• Megan Gillis, Co-Founder and Executive Director of City Lyric Opera, has extensive experience working with high-profile organizations such as Steinway & Sons.
• Anne Midgette was the classical music critic of the Washington Post for 11 years and the first woman to review classical music for The New York Times.
• Candace Magner, creator, publisher, and general editor of Cor Donato Editions, a publishing house dedicated to the works of composer Barbara Strozzi.
• Niloufar Nourbakhsh is a founding member of the Iranian Female Composers Association and has performed at many festivals and venues, including Carnegie Hall, Mostly Mozart at Lincoln Center, and Direct Current Festival at the Kennedy Center.