For Rabinowitz, her status as a minority in the classical music world is invigorating, not discouraging. “It’s empowering to be one of the few female composers,” she says. “It’s a unique niche.”

HALF STEPS FORWARD

Attached to the rich historical tradition of classical music is a tradition of excluding women. Gustav Mahler, for example, forbade his wife, Alma, from composing. Such tendencies even pervade the very language of music: in music theory, strong cadences used to be styled “masculine,” while weaker cadences were given the title of “feminine.” Today, however, those terms are falling out of favor, as are the gender biases of which they are indicative.

While the classical music communities both at Harvard and at large have come leaps and bounds from the completely male-dominated world of old, music still has strides to make for complete equality. But with active and ambitious up-and-comers in the musical world, what was once a male-dominated field is increasingly populated by female performers, composers, and conductors.

Concert pianist Yuja Wang, who gave a talk at Harvard on Friday, is one such artist. “The kinds of people that tend to do really well in this type of career are women who have masculine sides and men that have feminine sides. I guess being androgynous is the way,” she says. “People say it is harder for women because of the physical aspect—we have big programs and small hands, and it takes a lot of stamina. But I don’t work out—I just play my concerts and it is fine.”

—Staff writer Layla Siraj can be reached at layla.siraj@thecrimson.com.