Black, Indigenous, people of colour (BIPOC) musicians

Consult this section to discover professional associations promoting current artists and directories of music professionals. Some of these associations may include additional resources. 

• African Composers 
  • Access database with listing of more than 400 African composers and links to their website
  • Includes lists of operas and symphonic works composed by Africans 
• African Heritage in Classical Music  
  • Profiles, work lists, and audio samples for 52 African, African-American, or Afro-European composers, conductors, and instrumentalists
  • Companion AfriClassical blog
• Castle of Our Skins
  • A concert and educational series dedicated to celebrating Black artistry through music
  • Provides many resources for exploring ​Black heritage and musical culture 
• Indigenous Music
  • Development program assists people in the Indigenous community in Manitoba to develop sustainable careers in music by connecting them with opportunities within Manitoba Music and beyond
  • Includes a list of artists with their biographical profile and music samples
• Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA)
  • Multifaceted organization with geographically and artistically diverse Indigenous performing artists and arts organizations in Canada
  • List of Indigenous artists can be filtered by region, category, and ancestry
  • Provides information about funding organizations for Indigenous artists and organizations
• International Association of Music Information Centres (IAMIC) 
  • Network of organizations promoting new music 
  • Member-organizations exist in some 40 countries; provides complete contact information for all members 
• Music in Africa 
  • Artists and music industry include more than 29,000 members: bands, groups, composers, arrangers and songwriters, choirs, orchestras and ensembles, audio engineers, record labels, publishers
• Music by Black Composers (MBC) 
  • Seeks to make the music of Black composers available and to bring greater diversity to the ranks of performers, composers, and audiences
  • Living Composers Directory can also be filtered by gender identity
• Music Unites Jamaica Foundation
  • Seeks to expand the awareness of Jamaica's long-standing musical heritage
  • Includes a list of Jamaican composers with biographical profiles and samples of their work
• Musicwoman 
  • Jazzwomen Directory includes biographical information about current and past women in jazz 
• National Association of  Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment  (NABFEME)  
  • Association seeks to raise the profile and increase the awareness of Black women in music and entertainment; there are twenty active networks and hubs in the USA, Canada, and Africa
  • List of funding resources for women in entertainment and hosts Women Who Jam Radio, an all-female influenced, daily radio program
• National Association of Negro Musicians 
  • Oldest organization in the U.S.A. dedicated to the preservation, encouragement, and advocacy of all genres of the music of Black Americans
• Native Women in the Arts 
  • Promoting the art, culture, community, and advancement of Indigenous peoples in Canada
• Sphinx
  • Detroit-based national organization with programs and resources to promote diversity in music
  • Database of professional Black and Latinx musicians: National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS)
  • Composer and Repertoire directory provides a list of resources for locating works by diverse composers
• World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE)
  • International organization of wind band conductors, composers, performers, publishers, teachers, and instrument makers
  • Includes repertoire lists and regular conferences and events
• Wikipedia
  • African-American classical composers
  • List of composers of African descent
  • Mexican Composers of Classical Music

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• McGill users only
• Open access resource
• Free resource
• In-library use
• Catalogue record