As jury and finals season approaches, music students at DePaul begin to choose their repertoire to study. Whether this entails learning a new concerto or finding a work to analyze for a theory course, there is an innumerable body of work to choose from. Much of the work that ends up highlighted will end up boiling down to a narrow breadth of repertoire from the Common Practice Period (c. 1650-1900), written by an overwhelmingly white male demographic. The DePaul University Library’s music collection contains a wide swath of scores, recordings, and biographies by underrepresented composers from within and beyond this era of music – among these are composers of color, woman composers, and queer composers. A new display on the first floor of the John T. Richardson Library, “Marginalized Voices: Underrepresented Composers in the Classical Canon,” includes some of the following composers:
Jessie Montgomery, a Black composer-performer who previously held the title of composer-in-residence for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Her work currently on display is the Rhapsody no. 1 for solo viola, a transcription of the original violin piece and a homage to Eugène Ysaÿe’s Six Sonatas.
Tania León, a Cuban-American composer, conductor, and Pulitzer Prize winner. Her music is often characterized as highly rhythmic, depicting and transforming the music of her home. The work highlighted on display is a biography of León and an analysis of her work Stride, which won her the aforementioned Pulitzer.
Julius Eastman, a Black queer composer and performance artist. His music is typically very gradual and aleatoric in nature, which intends to dramatically explore his Black and gay identity. The biography Gay Guerilla: Julius Eastman and His Music depicts his struggles with identity and political reception throughout his life.
Hildegard von Bingen, a German polymath who served as a composer, mystic, writer, and philosopher. She wrote a substantial body of sacred music, including the morality play Ordo Virtutum in the twelfth century. Hildegard of Bingen: the woman of her age is an account of her life and contributions to science, theology, and music.
Wendy Carlos, a transgender composer and producer. One of the most influential film composers of the twentieth century, Carlos is responsible for the scores of A Clockwork Orange and The Shining. Her displayed work is an album called Switched-on Brandenburgs, where she performs major works by J.S. Bach on Moog synthesizer.
We would be happy to help you dive deeper into classical music by underrepresented artists! Scores and most composer biographies can be found on the fourth floor of the Richardson Library, while our CDs, DVDs, and LPs call the second floor their home. If you need assistance finding any specific material, you can use our Ask a Librarian service or stop by to chat with us at the Research Help Desk or Access Services Desk. The Music Research Guide can also help you kick off your learning endeavors with streaming audio database like DRAM and Naxos Music Library and article databases like RILM Abstracts of Music Literature.
Louis Dhoore is a Mexican-American composer-performer based in Chicago, Illinois. They are currently pursuing a M.M. in Composition at DePaul University, studying under Dr. Christopher Jones and Dr. Osnat Netzer. They draw inspiration from themes of divinity and the natural world to create immersive and theatrical soundscapes. In performance, Louis is an accomplished violist, violinist, bass-baritone, and viola da gamba player, continuing to collaborate in both period and contemporary ensembles. They have had works performed by many acclaimed musicians, including performers who work with groups like Ensemble dal Niente, Decoda, and Hub New Music. In the Library, they are an Access Services Supervisor – you can frequently find them on evenings and weekends at the circulation desk, and is fully willing to help you with any music-related questions you might have!