The LGBTQIA+ community is here and queer all year, but Pride Month is a great time to spotlight LGBTQIA+ musicians and the impact their art, experiences, and ideas have on the classical music world. Classical Queery, hosted by YourClassical’s Mya Temanson, illustrates how classical music can uplift queer voices and how queer experiences can transform the classical music scene.
This week’s question, “What are Queer Spaces?”, is answered by Catherine Himmerich (she/her) and Danica Rumney (she/her). Brian Dowdy (he/him) contributes to some additional queeries below.
Himmerich is the concertmaster for the Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra, an orchestra founded in 1993 with the goal of creating a space for gay and lesbian musicians to gather and make music. Together, Himmerich and Dowdy, the artistic director of the MPO, have worked to further the original mission, broadening the definition of inclusivity and diversity.
For Pride Month, the Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra will present Love Letters at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 27, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral. Tickets are available on the MPO website.
Having been raised by two classical musicians, Rumney knows the world of classical music like the back of her hand. She will complete her Masters in Music Therapy at the University of Minnesota this fall. Her explorations of musical expression and sexuality have in many ways informed one another, which now inform her practice as a budding music therapist.
Click on the player above to hear Himmerich’s and Rumney’s responses to this week’s question, and explore further with the audio below.
Additional queeries for the curious listener:
Brian, what can audiences look forward to at the MPO’s upcoming Pride concert?
How does classical music transform in a queer space?
Danica, you grew up in a deeply musical family. Are music spaces naturally set up to be safer spaces than others?
Check back in next week for another queery: “How can you support the work of trans artists?” Composer and singer Mari Esabel Valverde shares her story.
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