French violinist Esther Abrami is on a mission to rewrite the musical narrative with her latest album, Women, a passionate tribute to female composers—both forgotten and contemporary—who have long been overlooked in classical music history.
“In 15 years of studying music, I didn’t play a single piece written by a woman,” Abrami told Reuters. Her deeply personal realization became the catalyst for an album that seeks not just to showcase brilliant music, but also to inspire change in how we view classical composition.
Reviving History: From Suffrage to the Holocaust
The tracklist features emotionally resonant works, including “March of the Women” by Ethel Smyth, interwoven with the voice of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, and Ilse Weber’s haunting lullaby “Wiegala”, written during her imprisonment at the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Weber later perished in Auschwitz, but her husband preserved her compositions, ensuring her voice could live on.
“I chose pieces that touched me,” said Abrami. “These women are incredibly inspiring and I hope they can also inspire young girls to want to compose music themselves.”
Bridging Classical and Contemporary
In addition to historical pieces, Women includes modern touches like an arrangement of Miley Cyrus’ pop anthem “Flowers” and Abrami’s original composition “Transmission,” inspired by her grandmother, who was also a violinist.
The album blends genres and generations to make a powerful statement about the relevance and resilience of women in music, from the concert halls of the past to the playlists of today.
Advocacy Through Music and Media
Abrami, who boasts a dedicated following across social media platforms, has also made her mark as a vocal advocate for gender equity in the arts. On her podcast, “Women in Classical,” she regularly interviews women across the classical music world, shedding light on untold stories and overlooked talent.
“Even for me as a classical musician, when I thought I knew kind of everything about it… to realize actually there’s a whole part of history that you don’t know yet. That’s super exciting,” she said.
Esther Abrami’s Women isn’t just an album—it’s a cultural call to action. One that says the time has come to listen, remember, and elevate the women whose music still speaks across time.
Categories: Music, Culture, Women in History, Classical Music, Entertainment
Tags: Esther Abrami, female composers, Women album, classical music, Emmeline Pankhurst, Ilse Weber, Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, violinist tribute, podcast Women in Classical
