Our Why

Great music can change the world! Montrose Project finds extraordinary arias by women composers to perform and record. When singers and opera companies have ready access to professional recordings and scores, they can more easily discover this incredible repertoire.

In 2023-2024, only 7.5% of works performed by orchestras worldwide were by women composers (according to a study released by Donne UK (https://donne-uk.org/research/). Through our recordings and performances, we can help raise the percentage of works performed by women composers across the world.

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How We Started

“In March of 2020, I was playing Paola Prestini’s opera Edward Tulane at Minnesota Opera when the world shut down. Like many in 2020, I had months of isolation to sit and think about my life and my purpose. When I realized that Prestini's work was the first piece I had ever played by a woman composer, I began an intentional journey of exploring and discovering repertoire by women composers. To my genuine surprise, I found a treasure trove of incredible, rarely-performed repertoire that needs to be heard.”

- Mary Box, founder

Montrose Project Outcomes

Short-Term Outcome

Intermediate Outcome

Long-Term Outcome

Audience

Audience members increase their knowledge of women opera composers.

Audience members gain a new appreciation for women opera composer

Audience members seek out more opportunities to see works by women opera composers performed.

Composers

Living women opera composers receive high-quality recordings of their works to add to their portfolio..

The recordings are used to market women opera composers to orchestras and opera companies.

Women opera composers' works are performed more frequently in the world (the disparity is lowered).

Opera Singers

Opera singers increase their knowledge of great works by women opera composers.

Opera singers add arias by women opera composers to their audition packages.

Opera companies value works by women opera composers because of their exposure in auditions.