What Makes the Unbound Symphony Special?
On March 8, 2026, Unbound Symphony launched with remarks from its founding members in honor of International Women’s Day. During the event, founding board member Katie A. Berglof shared a speech on what makes Unbound Symphony unique and why this work matters.
Her words deeply moved the room, with many brought to tears. What follows is the written version of her address…
Unbound Symphony Launches on International Women’s Day
Seattle, Wash., March 8, 2026 – A new professional orchestra dedicated to expanding opportunities for women musicians is launching in Seattle today. The ensemble will introduce itself to the public this summer with a Women’s Orchestra Festival, taking place July 8-10, 2026. The festival will feature works by women composers, including a Double Bass Concerto by award-winning Seattle-based composer Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte from her recent album Orchestrating the Wild.
Research Data on Harassment and Misconduct in the Classical Music Industry
Classical music education and employment often rely on highly hierarchical mentorship systems, where students and emerging artists depend heavily on teachers, conductors, and senior musicians for recommendations, auditions, and career advancement. The profession also places considerable emphasis on prestige, reputation, and institutional visibility, which can create incentives for organizations to protect prominent figures whose status helps attract donors, audiences, and financial support.
In addition, the culture of classical music has historically encouraged forms of hero worship around celebrated conductors, soloists, and pedagogues, concentrating authority in individuals whose influence over hiring, casting, and professional advancement can be substantial. Combined with the freelance nature of much orchestral work, informal hiring networks, and the competitive reputation driven structure of the field, these dynamics can make reporting misconduct particularly risky for musicians who depend on professional relationships and institutional endorsement to sustain their careers.
Another factor frequently identified in discussions of misconduct within the field is the pressure placed on musicians, particularly women and early career artists, to remain silent. Musicians who raise concerns about harassment or discrimination may fear professional retaliation, loss of future work, or reputational damage in a small and interconnected industry. As a result, many incidents go unreported, and conversations about misconduct have historically been difficult for institutions to confront openly.
Despite these barriers, a growing number of surveys, academic studies, and policy reports have begun to document patterns of harassment, discrimination, and underreporting across the music profession, offering an important foundation for ongoing efforts to improve safety, accountability, and transparency within the classical music field.
Welcome Letter from Board President
My name is Bhavani Kotha, oboist and founding Board President of Unbound Symphony. This symphony orchestra was created for many reasons. I’m most excited about building a platform for women’s creative works in the symphonic genre to be showcased.
Can you name more than a handful of women composers and can you recognize their symphonies themes? Women composers have existed all along! There are records kept and music scores that have been preserved dating back hundreds of years. I look back at my own history as a performer, and there have only been two or three times I can remember there being a symphony composed by a woman on the program.
For our first concert, we are presenting music composed by Dr. Sarah Bassingthwaighte, featured on her recent album, “Orchestrating the Wild.” Immersing ourselves with Sarah’s music is more meaningful as a performer and having the chance to work with her as part of the festival is a wonderful opportunity to all the musicians. Sarah is a trailblazing composer and flutist in classical music community and is based in Seattle. She travels all around the world and writes symphonies for orchestras that commission her work. For a long time she used a pseudonym. Many people might be happy to perform historical men’s symphonies for the 100th time; but at Unbound Symphony, how exciting is it to have the chance to play Sarah’s Double Bass concerto this July, most of us for the first time? We can’t wait.
The idea that a women’s orchestra will now exist in our community, as a place we perform and collaborate with women and bring these creative projects to life, is energizing. I only wish we created this years ago.
Women uplifting women and sharing our art with the community speaks to us as performers. We can break free of “traditions” and explore stories of trailblazing women in the community. Music is so versatile, so having the opportunity to partner with other art forms in meaningful collaborations and storytelling will be a big part of our journey. We are excited to explore this uncharted territory, as we launch Unbound Symphony. We also hope to inspire other orchestras and groups to produce more art experiences celebrating women.