Composing Her Way into the Canon #627: Nancy Van de Vate Papers

Published September 3, 2026 at 6:00 AM MDT

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Newspaper photo of Nancy Van de Vate. Box 20, Nancy Van de Vate papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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A copy of Raymond Chatelin’s Pulitzer nomination of Nancy Van de Vate for her piece, Chernobyl. She went on to receive close to ten Pulitzer nominations in her lifetime. Box 26, Nancy Van de Vate papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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The cover art of Nancy Van de Vate’s recording of Hamlet. Box 24, Nancy Van de Vate papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Nancy Van de Vate was one of the most prolific composers of her time. But she faced numerous challenges as a woman in the male-dominated music field. Despite impressive credentials, she was repeatedly denied a full-time faculty position. She attributed this to gender discrimination.

Deposition files in her papers at the American Heritage Center reveal unflattering characterizations of her by former colleagues. She was described as "extremely demanding" and "a hard, cold woman."

Undeterred, she became an activist. She established the International League of Women's Composers. She also co-founded Vienna Modern Masters, a recording label dedicated to new compositions and women composers.

She was driven by a desire to be remembered in a world that, in her words, "is inclined to forget her" because "women just don't make it into the canon."

Explore the Nancy Van de Vate papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more about her life and work.