, Use "is" if the individual remains within the role/partnership you will be discussing, and "was" if they're not in that position/relationship anymore. Ladies comprise an important proportion of instrumental soloists in classical tunes and the percentage of women in orchestras is increasing. A 2015 report on concerto soloists in https://maps.app.goo.gl/w5XBfysi2MgYAQBN7