The next step in promoting women’s music – visibility and belonging

By Sinead Walsh

‘EMPOWER is about turning emerging artists into industry trailblazers, not by asking them to fit into a broken system, but by building a better one alongside them’. 

I feel like I’ve grown up alongside the changing conversation about women in classical music. When I was younger, the focus was on visibility. We needed to see women on programmes, in leadership positions and on stage. In many ways that visibility has improved, and there are far more initiatives, more performances, and more discussions taking place. But visibility is not the same as long term opportunity.  

As I’ve moved into the profession myself, I’ve started asking a different question: what happens after the first performance? After the themed festival? After the panel discussion? That leads to a harder question: do we still need platforms like the one I run, EMPOWER: Women Changing Music?  

When I look at the statistics around women’s programming in major seasons, the answer is clear. International programming data shows that fewer than 8% of works performed by major orchestras are composed by women, with representation for women from the global majority considerably lower at 1.6%.  

Women still remain underrepresented, rarely receiving repeat performances. The issue is not only how often women’s music is programmed, but how it is promoted. Too frequently it is framed as a special focus but that framing limits longevity. When repertoire is treated as exceptional, it struggles to become embedded. Real change requires repetition, mainstream positioning and long-term advocacy.  

Then I read the applications for OpusHER, our commissioning award presented in partnership with ABRSM, which supports emerging women composers at a pivotal stage in their development. What stood out was not just the strength of the music, but the repeated question of belonging. Applicants spoke about wanting to feel that they have a legitimate place in this industry. The importance of having their work performed on serious stages, by committed performers, in front of engaged audiences – they want to be part of a network that believes in them.  

That is why this work matters. This year’s International Women’s Day theme, Give to Gain, reflects what EMPOWER is trying to do. We give a platform, visibility and opportunity to women composers and emerging musicians, and in doing so, the whole sector gains stronger artists and a broader repertoire. Giving women the opportunity to have their work performed on some of the UK’s leading stages is a responsibility I take incredibly seriously. A high-quality performance in a respected venue does more than showcase a piece. It provides credibility, creates material for future applications, and builds confidence. But promotion must go beyond single events, which is why we are determined to build our capacity in the coming years.  

The next step is integration. Women’s work should appear within mainstream seasons without needing justification. It should be marketed with the same authority as any other repertoire. It should be repeated, reviewed and recorded.  

That thinking shapes EMPOWER’s 2026 UK and Ireland tour, Let The Music Lead!. Across London, Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff, we are presenting concerts where women’s music is central to the artistic identity of the evening. Performance comes first and conversation adds another dimension to the evening. Emerging artists have the opportunity to shine through performing music they’ve proposed, and is important to their musical voice.  

Alongside this, OpusHER creates a direct commissioning pathway. It offers not just a premiere, but a meaningful focal point within the tour itself. That combination of performance, visibility and professional context is what helps move a career forward. Lifting others up creates a positive practical cycle.  

When composers feel validated and taken seriously, they are more likely to put themselves forward for further opportunities, lead projects and contribute confidently to the industry. That confidence benefits everyone: audiences, institutions and the wider musical landscape. Now aged 26, I have seen the narrative change. But the data, and the lived experiences of our community, show that the work is not finished.  

We do still need platforms like EMPOWER, not as a reaction, but as a sustained model for how women’s music can be promoted with seriousness and permanence. EMPOWER is about turning emerging artists into industry trailblazers, not by asking them to fit into a broken system, but by building a better one alongside them. The future of classical music won’t be shaped in isolation, but through collective action. Help us to shape the sounds of the future.