Concerns about gender equality have been a mainstay in the social landscapes of Colombia and music, of course, is no exception.The study of women's participation in professional orchestras, the testimonies of the only two female directors in the history of Colombian symphony music, and the perceptions of a group of professional instrumentalists, validates the idea that even though they have come a long way in the fight for equality, thanks to the patriarchal hegemony and machismo under which Colombian society has been ruled for more than a century, there is still a long way to go to achieve this goal.