ANJELICA LINDSEY TO LAUNCH REPERTOIRE INCLUSION INITIATIVE
Repertoire Inclusion Initiative
Anjelica Lindsey’s Mission for Equity in Classical Music
“The ideal outcome is clear: that within the next decade, the percentage of works by women and Indigenous composers programmed by major institutions rises from under 5% to 25%, so that composers like me are no longer anomalies but integral to the repertoire: seen, heard, and programmed within our lifetimes.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Anjelica Lindsey Launches Repertoire Inclusion Initiative to Champion Native and Women Composers in Classical Music
TULSA, OK — June 22, 2025 — Composer, violinist, and recording artist Anjelica Lindsey announces the launch of the Repertoire Inclusion Initiative, a self-led campaign that aims to bring Indigenous and women composers, especially those historically excluded, into the core of concert music programming.
As the first enrolled Cherokee woman to premiere a string quartet, Lindsey’s initiative is grounded in lived experience and professional action. Rather than a formal residency model, the Repertoire Inclusion Initiative begins with the composer’s own body of work and the belief that true equity in the arts begins with visibility, inclusion, and consistent institutional support.
Through performances, partnerships, and direct engagement with orchestras, presenters, and arts institutions, Lindsey’s initiative advocates for composers whose voices have long been excluded from the concert canon. The work begins with her own catalog, recently including Oklahoma Woman Quartet and Requiem, a choral and orchestral work in the Cherokee language, but extends to broader community impact, guest appearances, and collaboration.
Institutions interested in performing or commissioning work as part of the Repertoire Inclusion Initiative are encouraged to reach out directly.
For more information and media inquiries, contact via https://www.anjelicalindsey.com
Statement below:
Repertoire Inclusion Initiative
Anjelica Lindsey’s Mission for Equity in Classical Music
My music-based social justice work is focused on increasing the visibility and inclusion of Indigenous and women composers within classical music spaces.
According to Donne, Women in Music, only 5% of works performed by the world’s top 100 orchestras in the 2023–2024 season were composed by women, just 1.11% by Black and Asian women, while Indigenous women composers remain so underrepresented they are rarely counted at all. This is a staggering reminder that in the centuries of classical music tradition, the sound of half the world remains overwhelmingly unheard.
As the first known Cherokee woman to premiere a string quartet, I understand that simply existing in this space by writing and sharing original music is itself an act of advocacy. My creative work’s existence and representation is the core of my social change practice, and I use each composition as an opportunity to challenge outdated norms around who belongs in the classical tradition.
Western classical music has historically centered white European male composers, creating structural barriers for women and Indigenous artists to be heard or studied. My work engages this imbalance directly, not only by composing new works rooted in Cherokee identity and feminine experience, but by questioning and reframing the canon itself.
Classical music holds deep potential for cultural repair. By composing new works from the perspective of an Indigenous woman, I aim to challenge inherited norms and expand the repertoire, making space for others to do the same. These works are performed in partnership with ensembles, festivals, and community organizations, and each performance is designed not only to share new music, but to make the case for institutional change.
My strategy is simple: lead by example. I write the music that hasn’t existed yet, I bring it to the stage, and I make it unforgettable. In doing so, I ask presenters and institutions to consider: if this work didn’t exist before, what other voices are still missing?
Rather than create a separate educational initiative or outreach program, I believe the change must begin with the repertoire itself. I advocate for season programming that includes more living, Native, and women composers not just as a gesture of inclusion, but as a commitment to excellence. I use my performances to highlight how emotionally and artistically rich these stories are.
There are challenges: funding, lateral oppression, traditional gatekeeping, and the inertia of programming habits. But through persistence, partnership, and a focus on artistic excellence, I’ve seen audiences and presenters shift. I’ve witnessed the resonance that occurs when someone hears their own history, identity, or lineage reflected from the stage.
The ideal outcome is clear: that within the next decade, the percentage of works by women and Indigenous composers programmed by major institutions rises from under 5% to 25%, so that composers like me are no longer anomalies but integral to the repertoire: seen, heard, and programmed within our lifetimes.
