ACADEMY SECOND MODERNISM

No more excuses: With the Academy Second Modernism, an initiative was founded in 2024 as part of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna that aims to promote gender equality in music culture and thus change centuries-old inequality. (Equality & Diversity in Global Repertoire Report by Donne, Women in Global Repertoire #DonneReport2024)

Feminist, global and for everyone: the academy's goal is to increase the proportion of works by female composers* in the concert and music theatre sectors, expand the traditional canon and create a committed system of partner institutions around the world. The result is a female, global, diverse composition and performance network! To this end, the Zweite Moderne Academy is inviting 50 internationally influential female composers from around the world to Vienna by 2028.

* Women and/or trans, inter*, non-binary persons

Missed it?

Listen to the recordings of the Academy Second Modernism Concerts of 2026 on Ö1 now:

WOMXN COMPOSERS*

Every year, ten women composers* perform their compositions as ambassadors* of the Academy in two concerts during the festival weeks. At the additional summit meeting, participants engage in panels and workshops on relevant issues addressed in the Academy Declaration and strengthen their powerful alliance.

Since the academy was founded, more and more alliance partners worldwide have joined, setting an example for a gender-equitable, diverse music culture.

The New York Times on the Academy Second Modernism

2024

Alliance partners

African Women’s Orchestra
Archiv Frau und Musik
Camerata Salzburg
Copenhagen Opera Festival
Ensemble intercontemporain
Gare du Nord Basel
Gent Festival of Flanders
Klangforum Wien
Muziektheater Transparant
Neue Oper Wien
Neuköllner Oper Berlin
O. Festival Rotterdam
Opera Ballet Vlaanderen
Opéra de Genève
Outernational
PROTOTYPE Festival (NYC)
Sort/Hvid (Copenhagen)
Staatsoper Stuttgart
Staatstheater Kassel
Studio M.A.R.S.
Universal Music Publishing Classics & Screen / Germany

Become an alliance partner

As an alliance partner, you share the values of the Academy Second Modernism Declaration and commit to proactively promoting gender-equitable, diverse programming to the best of your ability.

Get in touch

Head of the Academy Second Modernism and Curator of the Summit Lisa Florentine Schmalz Concept/Initiator for the Academy Second Modernism and Curator of Concerts Jana Beckmann Network and Project Content Collaboration Saskia Bladt Process Support Nora Refaeil

The Academy Second Modernism is supported by
the German Embassy in Vienna, the ORF RadioKulturhaus, Ö1 and
Barbara Ludwig | Hotel Beethoven.