Building a Stronger Future for Women in Music: Inside the Mission of IAWM

International Alliance for Women in Music, or IAWM, is an organization dedicated to advocating for women in music. From supporting and programming women composers and performers, to publishing academic journals dedicated to highlighting the advancements of women in music, to providing resources and grants to members, IAWM takes a holistic view of supporting women in music. IAWM’s President Christina Rusnak is a composer, writer, and cultural catalyst based in Oregon. Speaking with her about the organization's dynamic past, exciting present, and visionary future was a joy.

IAWM was originally three separate organizations, all dedicated to advocating for women's rights, that merged in 1995 to form the organization as we know it today. This merger was vital to both the success of the organizations and the advancement of women. In the words of the IAWM’s own history,

“One of the insights at the “birth” of the IAWM was that an organization of women composers alone was insufficient to do the deep advocacy work needed to move women toward parity in music professions, histories, and education in the absence of a network of women musicians and allies in many roles, including performers who could render their music audible, musicologists who could tell their stories, producers who could bring their music to the public, and musical institutions and industries, like performing organizations, venues, and schools. The new IAWM set out to be that net- work."

They understood that actual impact required something larger: a network of performers who could bring women’s music to life, musicologists who could tell their stories, producers who could amplify their work, and institutions that could provide platforms for their artistry.

This change did not happen overnight. The conversations that formed the IAWM spanned years of careful, intentional discussions between leaders and musicians alike. Those early conversations, sparked years before the official founding and guided in part by composer Judith Shatin, laid the foundation for the IAWM we know today: a vibrant, interconnected community dedicated to equity, opportunity, and visibility.

IAWM’s core values include Inclusion & Equity, Global Advocacy, Communication & Courage, and Support. It is abundantly clear that these values are embedded in every part of the organization, though courage in our current time seems to take center stage. In the IAWM’s Strategic Planning it prioritizes courage.

“Foster courage in its many forms, creatively, socially, morally and intellectually.” Rusnak spoke on why courage is so important, saying, “In summation, women have the right to serve in any capacity in music that men do. To expect and demand gender equality takes courage. Believe in ourselves and others, advocating for those communities who have been, and continue to be, underrepresented.” 

Courage, in this sense, isn’t only about breaking barriers. It’s about creating a musical landscape where women’s contributions are recognized as essential, not exceptional.

When asked about what change Rusnak most would like to see for women in music, she responded:

“More visibility and credit for the work women are doing and accomplishing in music. We read about the 1st women this or that, and the reality is emerging that women have always composed, performed and conducted music. Their work and the credit for their accomplishments have been subverted. Thankfully, we have wonderful musicologists and other women in music bringing this knowledge to the fore. This is part of the purpose of our Spotlights Program and YouTube Channel. In the 2020's we increasingly need to see something online to validate its existence”

This initiative creates a fuller picture of the truth about our history as women in music. We have always been here, creating and performing. It is time our history is celebrated, and our present is equally valued. 

When asked what projects we should be excited to see from IAWM in the near future, Rusnak had so many exciting collaborations to share! Collaboration with individuals and other organizations has always been a source of innovation and growth for IAWM, and the diversity of groups IAWM partners with demonstrates dedication to its core values and presents exciting innovations for women in music. Below are some highlights, and both the IAWM and the LunART hope you use this list to further your connections with organizations that uplift your voice. 

IAWM CURRENT PROJECTS

• Core projects: Search for New Music, Pauline Alderman Award, Women Who Innovate Award, other awards and grants (more opportunities to come!)

• IAWM Journal, now also available digitally to help increase awareness through academic sources.

• A joint conference with the College Music Society in Bogota/Medellin, Colombia, in June 2025. Women accounted for 66% of the performers and presenters!

• International Concert in Cologne, Germany. Performed by the Virago Symphonic Orchestra (an all-women's orchestra) in St. Cecilia's church, now a museum.

PAST COLLABORATIONS

• In 2023, the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble presented a concert of the IAWM Jazz Composers winners, ALLIANCE

• In 2023, LunART partnered with IAWM for Chamber Ensemble concerts to present two IAWM Winners' works with a Q&A.

FUTURE COLLABORATIONS

• CBDNA (College Band Directors National Association) to create a concert at their national conference.

• Initiatives with conducting organizations Brava maestra Initiative and Women Conductors to bring more visibility to women conductors.

The IAWM continues to build on decades of transformative work, expanding its global reach while staying rooted in its founding vision: to create a strong, interconnected network that elevates women in every corner of the musical world. As momentum grows, one thing becomes clear—the future of women in music isn’t just promising; it’s powerful.

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Anna is a composer, philosopher, and advocate for women and LGBTQIA+ rights based in New Orleans. She has a passion for living an examined life and writing music that tells stories beyond her years. She loves doing escape rooms, playing board games, and cooking with her family.