Performer Identity, Agency, and Programming Lesser-Known Piano Repertoire

Abstract

The diversification of concert repertoire has garnered increased attention recently, yet research on modern concert programming remains limited, focusing mainly on quotas and the perspectives of organisers and audiences. Discourses on the contextualisation and evaluation of women composers’ music have not transcended questions raised since the 1990s, and historical patterns demonstrate that change is not linear. Given the role of performers as co-creators of musical meaning and value, we need a better understanding of their practices to achieve sustainable change. This study examines the interrelation between the performer’s sense of identity and agency and their selection and programming of music by composers who are lesser-known due to stylistic unfamiliarity or their gender, race, or other demographic characteristics. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), I examined interview accounts of four professional pianists experienced in performing such repertoire. Six group experiential themes emerged: career and professional identity; aesthetic, emotions, or sociopolitical connections; interpretative strategies and commitment; contextualising lesser-known repertoire as accessible or valuable; programming agency in relation to organisers, venues, and audiences; and belonging and outsiderness. These findings bear implications for effective programming practices and conservatoire pedagogical transformations.