by Clara Lyle Boone as published in the IAWM Journal, Winter 1998, p. 20.
Clara Lyle Boone, founder of Arsis Press and pioneer publisher of music by women, was so provoked by Music Director Leonard Slatkin's failure to program works by women composers for the 1997-98 season of the National Symphony Orchestra that she and fellow advocate Ruth Goen turned in their subscription tickets. Boone's letter to Maestro Slatkin appears below along with his response.
October 29, 1997
To the Honorable Leonard Slatkin:
Loaded with opinions, I cannot precisely say who cares about my opinions. The pertinent facts are that I feel so distressed over yet another single gender subscription series, scheduled for 1997-1998, that I am returning my season tickets. When the orchestra, yes, the inimitable National Symphony Orchestra, recently began performing a few women composers, I renewed my regular ticket purchases, hopeful that a new era has dawned.
Apparently not! Having muddled through these highly charged emotions before, I have decided to turn in my tickets with a brief statement of my concern for the future of our society needlessly burdened with all-male programming. Make us women proud! You can at least play Cindy Cox again!
Clara Lyle Boone
Publisher
November 5, 1997
Dear Ms. Boone:
I'm quite disappointed at your response to our season. I've never programmed music by either gender or race unless the occasion is thus specified. You may be interested to know that as of this writing the 98/99 season has at least three works by women composers on the subscription series, one of which goes on tour with the orchestra. In addition, in this current year there are non-subscription events which also feature works of women composers. Considering that tickets for next year will be at a premium, it may be difficult for non-subscribers to be able to attend all of these concerts due to scarcity of seats.
Sincerely,
Leonard Slatkin