EMPOWER: Women Changing Music is an initiative born out of the desire for fairness and gender equality in the music industry. EMPOWER showcases female composers and musicians, whose talents have been left in the shadows for too long, to ensure a move away from the dead white men who have taken centre stage in concert halls across the world. EMPOWER has given a platform for female composers to premiere new works at their events, which otherwise may not have made it to the stage.

EMPOWER was founded by Hannah Seymour and Sinéad Walsh in late 2021, whilst in their final year at the Royal Northern College of Music. As two young females, they felt it was their obligation to make a positive impact on the industry they were graduating into.

The underrepresentation of women in music is something they feel very passionately about (as figures show that orchestras played less repertoire by female composers last year than they did in 2022). EMPOWER not only hopes of sharing wonderful music with a community, but to also empower future industry trailblazers to have the confidence to make their voices heard.

EMPOWER is pillared around live events in celebration of International Women’s Day. These events are informal, drop in events, and are a safe and inclusive space for everyone to learn, share, and ultimately empower each other to want to make a positive difference to society, through the sharing of music and experiences. The programmes consist of short musical performances, ranging from string quartets, to jazz band, to voice and electronics, showcasing a wide variety of music solely by female composers, both old and new. Composers and performers apply to be a part of the events, and the programme is curated around the breadth of music that EMPOWER’s community of followers are passionate about.