Tue, October 21, 2025 6:00 P.M. Add to your calendar
Fleisher Collection at Parkway Central Library

Have you ever noticed how often you use Wikipedia? Or how much more detailed articles about men composers are compared to those about women composers? Come join us to balance the scales and share more information about music composed by women with the world! Join Boulanger Initiative’s Research Manager, Dr. Caiti Beth McKinney, and uncover works for orchestra by women composers found in the Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music at the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Expanding the collective understanding of the contributions and impact of gender-marginalized composers is integral to cultivating inclusivity and representation in music. Wikipedia is one of the most accessible platforms when it comes to raising awareness; however, many of the articles present overstate the family and relationships of gender-marginalized composers while severely understating their professional achievements.

BI's monthly Wikithons are designed to improve the coverage of gender-marginalized composers on Wikipedia by improving pages, updating language, and providing more extensive information surrounding the individuals and their music. All events include a brief tutorial, editing support, and everything you need to get started in making an impact! People of all gender identities and expressions are invited to participate.

This is a virtual event; join via Zoom.

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The Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music at the Free Library of Philadelphia is the world’s largest circulating collection of orchestral performance sets – with over 22,000 titles – and provides materials to recognized performance groups around the globe for concerts and recordings. It houses virtually the entire standard repertoire, and is also known for its many rare and out-of-print works available for lending around the world. It is a unique source of 19th and 20th century American music, and has a longstanding commitment to promoting new, noteworthy, and overlooked works.

Boulanger Initiative, a non-profit based out of Takoma Park, MD and established in 2018, advocates for women and all gender marginalized composers. BI fosters inclusivity and representation to expand and enrich the collective understanding of what music is, has been, and can be. Boulanger Initiative promotes music composed by women through performance, education, research, consulting, and commissions.

Virtual via Zoom 
6:00pm to 7:30pm  | Tuesday, October 21