Women Barrier – The Vienna Philharmonic

Will Seiji Ozawa’s presence in Vienna help add more women to the orchestra’s ranks? “The Vienna Philharmonic will doubtless fall back on the assertion that change can only come gradually: It can’t be expected to alter the male-to-female ratio overnight. So let’s look at the employment numbers for six years from 1997, when the orchestra proclaimed a new, enlightened policy of hiring women, until 2003. It’s men, 21; women, 3. How’s that for even-handed progress?”