Though African Americans have faced oppression throughout American history and the arts, Black composers’ contributions to music have been nothing short of history-changing.

Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Irene Britton Smith, Nora Holt, and countless other women of color contributed to the Chicago Black Renaissance and changed classical music around the world.

The Chicago Sinfonietta has been devoted to diversity and inclusion since it was founded by pioneering African-American conductor Paul Freeman. Throughout the 2017/18 season, the orchestra is shining a spotlight on women composers. In fact, it’s shining it brighter than most orchestras in the country; no other organization of its kind has programmed a higher percentage of works by women …