EMPOWER 2026
Let The Music Lead!
Join us on our tour for live performances and conversation as EMPOWER: Women Changing Music celebrates the creativity, influence, and diversity of women’s music. This special tour across the UK & Ireland brings together engaging chamber performances with thoughtful discussions featuring female leaders from across the music industry.
EMPOWER 2026 London
EMPOWER 2026: Let the Music Lead!
An inspiring evening of live music and conversation celebrating women who are shaping the future of music. EMPOWER: Women Changing Music brings together powerful chamber performances and thought-provoking discussion, spotlighting creativity, leadership, and representation across the industry.
EMPOWER is dedicated to advancing fairness and gender equality in the music world by spotlighting female composers and performers and expanding opportunities for emerging artists. Through vibrant live music and insightful dialogue, the initiative champions the transformative impact women are making creatively and professionally, while fostering connection, collaboration, and positive change.
Rooted in EMPOWER’s four core pillars: performance, commissioning, advocacy, and support network; the evening places visible role models at its heart, sharing experiences and insights from across the music profession and inspiring the next generation of artists and leaders.
Highlights include premieres of original work, as well as a performance of the OpusHER commission by Ezo Sarici, an award created to support emerging female composers and expand contemporary repertoire.
Experience music that matters. Be inspired, challenged, and moved by an event that celebrates voices shaping the future of music.
Hosts: Sinéad Walsh and Hannah Seymour
Panellists:
Laura van der Heijden - Cellist
Matilda Lloyd - Trumpet Soloist
Fleur Barron - Mezzo Soprano
Performers:
97 Ensemble - Tiago Soares Silva (violin), Emily Clark (viola), Niki Moosavi (cello), Evangeline Tang (double bass), Georgia Dawson (horn), Michael Elderkin (bassoon), Mebrakh Haughton-Johnson (clarinet)
Meraki Trio - Meera Maharaj (flute), James Girling (guitar), Roberto Carrillo García (bass)
Crystalla Serghiou (voice and piano), Athena Hawksley Walker and Kirsten Nelson (violin), Wanshu Qiu (viola), Josie Campbell (cello)
EMPOWER Collective (gratefully supported by ABRSM) - Sinéad Walsh (flute), Hannah Seymour (oboe), Emily Harrison (violin), Eugenia Garcia Cuesta (viola), Hoda Jahanpour (cello)
This event is presented in partnership with the King’s Place, and is gratefully supported by the PRS Early Career Promoter Fund, ABRSM, the Marchus Trust, and the Royal Academy of Music.
EMPOWER at RIAM - Relaxed Concert
Celebrate International Women’s Day with EMPOWER at RIAM – Relaxed Concert, a joyful, inclusive celebration of live chamber music entirely written by women composers, created especially with families in mind.
Featuring three fantastic chamber ensembles, this relaxed concert introduces audiences of all ages to music by women from across different styles, cultures and eras. EMPOWER champions women’s creativity in music, and this programme offers a fun and inspiring way for families to discover exciting new sounds together.
Warmly presented by Sinéad Walsh and Hannah Seymour, the concert is designed to be accessible, informal and welcoming. The relaxed format means children and adults alike are free to move, make noise, come and go, or engage with the music in whatever way feels comfortable. There’s no expectation to sit still or stay silent, just to enjoy the experience.
Whether you’re introducing your family to live music for the first time, looking for an accessible concert experience, or wanting to mark International Women’s Day in a meaningful and creative way, EMPOWER at RIAM offers an uplifting, memorable event for everyone
This event is supported by RTE ‘Supporting The Arts’
EMPOWER 2026 Dublin
EMPOWER 2026: Let the Music Lead!
Join us for an inspiring evening of live performances and conversation as EMPOWER: Women Changing Music celebrates the creativity, influence, and diversity of women’s music. This special event brings together engaging chamber performances with thoughtful discussions featuring female leaders from across the music industry.
EMPOWER is dedicated to advancing fairness and gender equality in the music world by spotlighting female composers and performers and expanding opportunities for emerging artists. Through vibrant live music and insightful dialogue, the initiative champions the transformative impact women are making creatively and professionally, while fostering connection, collaboration, and positive change.
Highlights include dynamic chamber pieces alongside the premiere of the OpusHER award commission, created to support emerging female composers and expand contemporary repertoire.
Experience music that matters - be inspired, challenged, and moved by an event that celebrates voices shaping the future of music.
Hosts: Sinéad Walsh and Hannah Seymour
Performers:
Féinics Quartet - Iulia Florescu, Rohan Harron, Jeannette Bogado, Anna Varga
Lux Brumalis - Conducted by David Yau
Trio Aurea - Julianne Forrest, Eve Quigley, Georgina Cassidy
EMPOWER Collective - Sinéad Walsh, Hannah Seymour, Emily Harrison, Eugenia Garcia Cuesta, Hoda Jahanpour
Panellists:
Jessie Grimes - NCH Discover Artist in Residence
Hannah Miller - Principal Horn, Irish National Opera
Deborah Kelleher - Director, Royal Irish Academy of Music
This event is presented in partnership with the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and is supported by RTE ‘Supporting The Arts’
EMPOWER 2026 Manchester
EMPOWER 2026: Let The Music Lead!
An inspiring evening of live music and conversation celebrating women who are shaping the future of music. EMPOWER: Women Changing Music brings together powerful chamber performances and thought-provoking discussion, spotlighting creativity, leadership, and representation across the industry.
EMPOWER is dedicated to advancing fairness and gender equality in the music world by spotlighting female composers and performers and expanding opportunities for emerging artists. Through vibrant live music and insightful dialogue, the initiative champions the transformative impact women are making creatively and professionally, while fostering connection, collaboration, and positive change.
Rooted in EMPOWER’s four core pillars: performance, commissioning, advocacy, and support network; the evening places visible role models at its heart, sharing experiences and insights from across the music profession and inspiring the next generation of artists and leaders.
Highlights include premieres of original work, as well as a performance of the OpusHER commission by Ezo Sarici, an award created to support emerging female composers and expand contemporary repertoire.
Experience music that matters. Be inspired, challenged, and moved by an event that celebrates voices shaping the future of music.
Hosts: Sinéad Walsh and Hannah Seymour
Panellists:
Dr. Michelle Phillips - Head of Enterprise (Academic), Royal Northern College of Music
Dr. Anna Appleby - Composer and Songwriter
Betty Makharinsky - Soprano and Executive Director of Vache Baroque
Performers:
Dogoda Quintet - Sofia Patterson Gutierrez (flute), Emily Long (oboe), Raj Bhaumik (clarinet) , Thomas Donkin (bassoon), Chloe Harrison (horn)
Valette Ensemble - Rachel Stonham (violin), Emily Ampt (violin), Jeanette Szeto (viola), Maya Tucker (cello), Julia Leszczynska (piano)
Chameleon - Cara Houghton (flutes), Jessica Tomlinson (clarinet and saxophone), Sarah Austen (saxophone, clarinet, flute), Eleanor Mills (bassoon and saxophone)
EMPOWER Collective (gratefully supported by ABRSM) - Sinéad Walsh (flute), Hannah Seymour (oboe), Emily Harrison (violin), Eugenia Garcia Cuesta (viola), Hoda Jahanpour (cello)
This event is gratefully supported by the PRS Early Career Promoter Fund, ABRSM and the Marchus Trust.
EMPOWER 2026 Glasgow
EMPOWER 2026: Let The Music Lead!
An inspiring evening of live music and conversation celebrating women who are shaping the future of music, at EMPOWER’S inaugural Glasgow event. EMPOWER: Women Changing Music brings together powerful chamber performances and thought-provoking discussion, spotlighting creativity, leadership, and representation across the industry.
EMPOWER is dedicated to advancing fairness and gender equality in the music world by spotlighting female composers and performers and expanding opportunities for emerging artists. Through vibrant live music and insightful dialogue, the initiative champions the transformative impact women are making creatively and professionally, while fostering connection, collaboration, and positive change.
Rooted in EMPOWER’s four core pillars: performance, commissioning, advocacy, and support network; the evening places visible role models at its heart, sharing experiences and insights from across the music profession and inspiring the next generation of artists and leaders.
Highlights include premieres of original work, as well as a performance of the OpusHER commission by Ezo Sarici, an award created to support emerging female composers and expand contemporary repertoire.
Experience music that matters. Be inspired, challenged, and moved by an event that celebrates voices shaping the future of music.
Hosts: Sinéad Walsh and Hannah Seymour
Panellists:
Lucy Drever - Presenter, workshop leader & narrator
Catriona Price - Violinist, composer, singer & artistic director
Lucy Allan - Lecturer in ‘Piano for Dance’ at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Piano Accompanist for Ballet and Contemporary Dance
Performers to include:
Lumas Winds - Sinéad Walsh (flute), Chris Vettraino (oboe), Rennie Sutherland (clarinet), Benjamin Hartnell-Booth (horn), Florence Plane (bassoon)
Bluebells & Heather - Angelique Celine (vocals & guitar), Isla Hallewell (harp), Sandra Castro (violin)
EMPOWER Collective (gratefully supported by ABRSM) - Sinéad Walsh (flute), Hannah Seymour (oboe), Emily Harrison (violin), Eugenia Garcia Cuesta (viola), Hoda Jahanpour (cello)
EMPOWER 2026 Cardiff
EMPOWER 2026: Let The Music Lead!
An inspiring evening of live music and conversation celebrating women who are shaping the future of music, at EMPOWER’S inaugural Cardiff event. EMPOWER: Women Changing Music brings together powerful chamber performances and thought-provoking discussion, spotlighting creativity, leadership, and representation across the industry.
EMPOWER is dedicated to advancing fairness and gender equality in the music world by spotlighting female composers and performers and expanding opportunities for emerging artists. Through vibrant live music and insightful dialogue, the initiative champions the transformative impact women are making creatively and professionally, while fostering connection, collaboration, and positive change.
Rooted in EMPOWER’s four core pillars: performance, commissioning, advocacy, and support network; the evening places visible role models at its heart, sharing experiences and insights from across the music profession and inspiring the next generation of artists and leaders.
Highlights include premieres of original work, as well as a performance of the OpusHER commission by Ezo Sarici, an award created to support emerging female composers and expand contemporary repertoire.
Experience music that matters. Be inspired, challenged, and moved by an event that celebrates voices shaping the future of music.
Hosts: Sinéad Walsh and Hannah Seymour
Panellists:
April Koyejo-Audiger - Soprano and operamaker
Llinos Owen - Bassoonist and contrabassonist Welsh National Opera
Performers:
EMPOWER Collective (gratefully supported by ABRSM) - Sinéad Walsh (flute), Hannah Seymour (oboe), Emily Harrison (violin), Eugenia Garcia Cuesta (viola), Hoda Jahanpour (cello)
The Crofters Trio - Juliette Ashman (voice), Lizzie Bonsell (piano), Judith Souter (cello)
Rêverie Quartet - Siân Evans (violin), Livvy Carter (violin), Isabel Dixon (viola), Isabella Rose (cello)
Harp and Electronics - Rhian Christabel (electronics), Cerys Rees (harp)
Spotlight: Today’s Women in Classical Music A joint venture with London Singers' Collective
Celebrating Women in Classical Music (performance & panel discussion)
Come join us for an inspiring evening celebrating women in classical music. This event will feature the music of composer Lilly Vadaneaux, performed by soprano Philippa Boyle, conductor Olivia Shotton, and the University of London Chamber Choir.
This event is a joint production between the London Singers Collective and EMPOWER: Women Changing Music. Sinead Walsh and Hannah Seymour, co-directors of EMPOWER, will also perform and host the panel discussion.
First Half - the music of Lilly Vadaneaux:
‘Enough’ - for soprano, flute, oboe & piano
‘A Day in Autumn’ - for solo soprano
Salve Regina - for acapella chamber choir
The Lord’s Prayer - for acapella chamber choir
Second Half - panel discussion with the performers: 'celebrating the opportunities and challenges of the music industry through the female lens'.
Location: National Opera Studio
EMPOWER 2025: London
In an evening of powerful performances and thought-provoking conversation, EMPOWER: Women Changing Music celebrate and showcase the breadth and diversity of female music, accompanied by dynamic discussion with female leaders from across the music industry.
Hosts:
Sinéad Walsh
Hannah Seymour
Panelists:
Errollyn Wallen CBE - Composer and Master of the Kings Music
Jess Gillam MBE - Saxophone Soloist and Presenter
Héloïse Werner - Soprano, Composer, and Founding Member of the Hermes Experiment
Dr. Leah Broad - Music Writer, Historian, and Author of ‘Quartet’
EMPOWER: Women Changing Music is an initiative dedicated to promoting fairness and gender equality within the music industry.
Through a rich program of live music and insightful dialogue, EMPOWER highlights the transformative impact women are having on the musical landscape, both creatively and professionally, while fostering an environment of collaboration, inspiration, and change.
Featuring short musical performances from chamber ensembles, and the inaugural OpusHER commission, this event has something for everyone, but most importantly is an event everyone should hear and will take something from. Music has the power for change, and EMPOWER invites you to be a part of this movement.
*This event is gratefully supported by by the PRS Foundation Early Career Promoter Fund and the Hinrichsen Foundation*
Royal Albert Hall presents Classical Coffee Relaxed with EMPOWER
Female-focused classical collective EMPOWER: Women Changing Music will be performing an additional, relaxed recital on the afternoon of Sunday 16 March.
Royal Albert Hall presents Classical Coffee Mornings: EMPOWER
Classical music collective EMPOWER: Women Changing Music will showcase the work of underrepresented female composers and musicians in the Elgar Room as part of the Hall's calendar of events based around International Women's Day.
