From 1981 to 2004, The Women's Philharmonic was a San Francisco-based professional orchestra dedicated to the promotion of women composers, conductors, and performers. It has presented works by more than 160 women composers, including 134 premieres and 47 commissioned works. This incomparable collection includes over 25 linear feet of music scores to orchestral works (many of which were performed by The Women's Philharmonic at concerts and at the New Music Reading Sessions) and music scores to chamber works. Among the 500 composers represented in the collection are Wilhelmina von Bayreuth, Francesca Caccini, Lili Boulanger, Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, Florence Price, Camilla de Rossi, Germaine Tailleferre, Libby Larsen, Ellen Taafe Zwillich, Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Amy Beach, Gwyneth Walker, and Joan Tower.

The collection contains 1,250 cassette and DAT recordings, over 40 reel-to-reel tapes, 95 video recordings, and CDs of The Women's Philharmonic concerts, New Music Reading Sessions and pre-concert talks, along with approximately 30 LP recordings of works by women. Materials are listed in SearchWorks. Scores may be browsed in the Music Library Reference Room.

Approximately 100 linear feet of archival materials related to the planning, promotion, production, and press coverage of The Women's Philharmonic concerts and other events from throughout the organization's history, including correspondence with composers, publishers, conductors and others, program notes about the works performed, documentation of Board meetings, press clippings, newsletters, photographs, posters, awards, and more will be available for study in the Stanford University Library's Special Collections.