‘We’re going to blame the women, not our sexism’: bias holding back top female pianists

‘Of course sexism exists in the classical music world. People comment on what women wear and what they look like’: concert pianist Joanna MacGregor. Photograph: Evan Dawson

A discordant chord over sexism in the classical music world has sounded again. The head of one of the most prestigious competitions is calling for the industry to confront an apparent bias that is holding back female pianists from pursuing concert careers, however brilliant their talent.

Fiona Sinclair, chief executive of the Leeds International Piano Com­petition, told the Observer that female pianists are failing to reach the top of their profession despite an equal number of men and women now training at conservatoires.