discovering new music:
This extensive resource is dedicated to championing the music of composers from underrepresented groups. Maintained by folks at SUNY Fredonia, it has a works catalog that you can browse by genre, musical era, language, composer demographics, and more.
A longstanding resource, this site has garnered almost 1 million visits. NYWC is a non-profit that champions the concert music of its NYC-area members, who also include former NYC residents such as Chen Yi. You can search the catalog by composer, publisher, instrumentation, and/or difficulty level. Especially useful: you can search over 60 categories of instrumentation, for example flute quartet, solo brass, or small chamber ensemble with narrator.
This catalog lists choral music which has received at least one substantial public performance and has been endorsed by a panel of conductors. You can search by language, season, accompaniment, performance time, or my favorite: by descriptive term like “DNA” or “vegetables.”
for teachers:
Music Theory Examples by Women
Many entries include scores and recordings. The site covers concepts from meter and scale all the way up through chromaticism and larger forms.
Do you teach band? This site provides band directors with various programs for middle school, high school, and beyond featuring a diverse array of composers.
“Bringing you quality recordings of works by underrepresented composers.” Band directors can give the works a premiere, providing a valuable reference recording recording for the composer.