Welcome to Composeher
Composeher is ambitious. It might just also be unique.
The project was devised by the Glasgow School of Art Choir and was borne out of a survey by Vick Bain (former CEO of the Ivors Academy – formerly the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors) which revealed huge gender inequalities in the granting of music commissions. Research released in 2019 revealed that only 14% of the 12,040 writers of music represented by UK publishers, were female.
Composeher shone a spotlight on seven composers by commissioning each of them to compose a new choral work. In addition, a series of workshops was held with the composers at Glasgow Women’s Library – throughout 2022/2023 – focusing on their work and processes. The workshops also explored the current under-representation of female composers in the professional music industry.
The seven pieces received their world premieres in Glasgow on Saturday 27 May 2023, and were released as an album in 2024. You can read more about each of the compositions here.
The Composers
The selection process for Composeher was carefully structured to ensure an exceptionally high quality of participant; with a mix of established figures within the industry, and younger, less experienced composers whose practice and reputation is developing. The selection process ensured that a variety of styles of composition were included, with some of the composers known for their wider, mixed-media approach to making music. Read more about our seven composers here.
Latest blogs
A look back since the Composeher world premiere
Jamie Sansbury, Musical Director of the GSA Choir, reflects on the journey since the Composeher world premiere concert last May. [...]
Performer blog – Maggie Broadley on the Composeher premiere
Maggie Broadley, who sings soprano in the GSA Choir, reflects upon the Composeher world premiere concert. The sound of 96 [...]
Performer blog – Lesley Thomson on the Composeher premiere
Lesley Thomson, who sings alto in the GSA Choir, looks forward to tomorrow's Composeher world premiere concert. Composeher, for [...]
Composer of the month
Each month during the project we featured a composer whose work we admire. You can subscribe to the Spotify playlist or simply listen to the music on the Spotify player on this page to hear some of the incredible compositions from each months’ composers. You can also join the discussion on Twitter using #Composeher, and listen to previous playlists here.
June 2023 – Missy Mazzoli
Missy Mazzoli (b. 1980) is an American composer known particularly for her operatic, chamber and orchestral works. In 2018 she became one of the first two women ever to receive a commission from the Metropolitan Opera in New York, for a new opera based on the book, Lincoln in the Bardo.
The Forgotten Female Composer
Dr Anna Beer, author of Sounds and Sweet Airs: the Forgotten Women of Classical Music, explores the how gender inequality has affected the legacy of history’s female composers, in a special essay written for Composeher. To read the full essay, click here.