Donne, Women in Music Foundation

Donne, Women in Music Foundation

The Donne Foundation[1] leads a global movement to "amplify women’s voices in music"[2].

The Donne foundation conducts research [3] which has been featured in The New York Times[4], BBC World Service[5] and the documentary film Mozart's Sister[6]. The foundation aims to inspire conversations and drive change for more equitable gender representation in classical music across the industry.

The Donne Foundation publishes the Big List of Women Composers[7] which features more than 500 women composers in history to the present day. It is an expanding list which is updated as new music composed by women is uncovered through research or is published.

The Donne Foundation is a registered charity[8] with the Charity Commission for England and Wales[9].

The Donne foundation also received an award[10] from the Guiness book of Records[11] for longest acoustic music live stream. The acoustic stream lasted for 26 hr 18 min 57 sec and was performed in London, UK, on 22-23 February 2024.

Founder

Soprano Gabriella Di Laccio[12] is the founder and curator of the charitable foundation Donne - Women in Music, which makes a positive change and to redress the gender inequality within the music industry.

In 2018 Di Laccio was chosen as one of the BBC 100 inspiring and influential Women [13] as a soprano and for her contribution through DONNE: Women in Music.

In 2026 Di Laccio was selected as the winner of the winner of the TEDx Global Idea Search: London. She will present her talk "What AI learns when we erase women from music" at the TedX Program in April 2026. https://conferences.ted.com/ted2026/speakers

"Donne, Women in Music". Donne, Women in Music. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
"Donne, Women in Music". Donne, Women in Music. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
"Equality & Diversity in Global Repertoire". Retrieved 17 February 2025.
Safronova, Valeriya (6 June 2024). "'No Excuses Anymore' for Gender Inequality in Classical Music". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
"BBC Radio 3 - International Women's Day on Radio 3 - Putting music by women centre stage – the successful world record attempt". BBC. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
"Mozart's Sister Documentary". Mozart's Sister Documentary. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
"The BIG LIST - More than 5000 women composers made visible by DONNE, Women in Music". Donne, Women in Music. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
"DONNE FOUNDATION - Charity 1191758". prd-ds-register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
"The Charity Commission". GOV.UK. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
"Longest acoustic music live stream". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
"Home". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
"Gabriella Di Laccio - The official web site of GABRIELLA DI LACCIO". www.gabrielladilaccio.com. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
"BBC 100 Women 2018: Who is on the list?". Retrieved 17 February 2025.