Ailís Ní Ríain is honoured to have been invited to take part in the 2026 Vienna Festival/Wiener Festwochen Academy Second Modernism 'No More Excuses' an initiative was founded in 2024 as part of the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) | Free Republic of Vienna that aims to promote gender equality in music culture and thus change centuries-old inequality.
Feminist, global and for everyone: the academy's goal is to increase the proportion of works by female composers* in the concert and music theatre sectors, expand the traditional canon and create a committed system of partner institutions around the world.
Every year, ten women composers* perform their compositions as ambassadors* of the Academy in two concerts during the festival weeks. At the additional summit meeting, participants engage in panels and workshops on relevant issues addressed in the Academy Declaration and strengthen their powerful alliance.
Since the academy was founded, more and more alliance partners worldwide have joined, setting an example for a gender-equitable, diverse music culture.
