Alternative Orchestra SA corrects the pervasive under-representation of people of colour, women, non-binary, and genderqueer people within the South African orchestral music scene. It is a resource that orchestral managers, artistic directors, conductors, instrumentalists, and the average listener can use to better understand the country’s musical landscape.
Animated by the growing global anti-racism movement, and the intersectional awareness that this movement is also fundamentally decolonial, queer, and feminist, we can no longer accept concert programming that very rarely includes music by people other than white cis men. This database thus represents an imperative for more diverse programming by South African orchestras as a whole.
Database
We understand 'orchestral' music to include music for large instrumental ensembles of any configuration. We recognise that orchestral music requires diverse instrumentalists to interpret wide-ranging styles of music.
If you are a South African composer, arranger, instrumentalist, conductor, or administrator and you are a person of colour, woman, or transgender, genderfluid, or non-binary person you can join the database by filling out the form below.
