ABRSM diversifies its woodwind syllabus

The music exam board has added 70 works by composers from underrepresented backgrounds to its woodwind syllabus to "spark interest in music from all corners of the world".

It's a tenfold increase on the diversity of the previous 2018 syllabus, ABRSM says, featuring work by John Williams, William Grant Still, Lloyd Coleman, Dave Gale, Rachel Broadbent, Gillian Whitehead and Charlotte Bray.

Chief Executive Chris Cobb said: "We are committed to promoting a far greater diversity in what we do and, above all, to bringing an even greater richness to the music available to learners around the world."

Composer Althea Talbor-Howard, who has contributed some of her works to the syllabus, said the change shows "we can go exploring for quality in other places" outside a narrow, traditional curriculum.

"As we do so, we can create a bridge to draw new people – including Black audiences – into classical music."