Andorra Exhibition Revives 25 Forgotten Female Composers

The La Llacuna cultural centre in Andorra la Vella is hosting the exhibition Dones que donen la nota until 25 September, a multidisciplinary project by artist Cristina Gallart that revives the legacies of 25 female composers erased from music history.

The exhibition opened on Monday evening, featuring live performances of works by four of the highlighted composers. Flautist Esther Sánchez and accordionist Elisa Sala began with Hildegard von Bingen's 12th-century monodic chant O Splendidissima Gemma. Singer Marta Casals and pianist Nicolàs Litxardi followed with Clotilde Cerdà's sole surviving piece, Salutació Angèlica. Sánchez then joined pianist Míriam Manobert for Cécile Chaminade's Concertino per a flauta i piano, op. 107, while guitarist Lluís Casagubà performed Sofia Gubaidulina's contemporary Serenade.

Andorra la Vella councillor Susagna Mosquera, responsible for Procedures, Taxes and Debts, praised the initiative as the outcome of over two years of collaboration with the commune and other bodies. The display spotlights performers and creators sidelined over centuries, from medieval figures like Hildegard to modern ones like Gubaidulina, who gained acclaim yet faded from repertoires.

Jordi Sabata, director of the Andorra la Vella Music Conservatory, noted that many women's scores were excluded from teaching traditions, complicating their revival today. Gallart emphasized giving these women "voice, face, and music" rather than mere lamentation, blending biographies, illustrations by the Institut Quevedo de les Arts de l’Humor, and QR codes linking to recordings by conservatory students and teachers.

A companion book gathers the biographies and performances. Mosquera encouraged visitors to engage with all 25 stories during weekday opening hours at the centre.