On the 23rd of February 2025 UK violinist Esther Abrami announced the release of her third album "Women", out on the 25th of April 2025 on Sony Classical. The album is a tribute to women composers across history and a range of genres, and showcases the exceptional talent of 14 remarkable composers, spanning newly composed works and rediscovered masterpieces. The album features Rachel Portman's composition 'Apple Tree' from her 2020 album "Ask the river", as well as new arrangements of compositions by composers such as Anne Dudley, Pauline Viardot, Chiquinha Gonzaga, Teresa Carreño and Ethel Smyth.
On her previous albums Esther Abrami also included compositions by Rachel Portman, playing an orchestral suite from Rachel Portman's opera "The Little Prince" on her 2023 album "Cinéma", as well as playing a suite of themes from "Chocolat"on her 2022 debut album. In the same year she also created a podcast series "Woman in classical" which includes an interview with Rachel Portman.
"Women" can be pre-ordered here.
"Women" also includes ‘Transmission’, an original composition by Esther Abrami, who has also arranged several pieces on the album. At its heart is the world-premiere recording of Ina Boyle’s Violin Concerto, a breathtaking, late-Romantic composition. Esther Abrami carefully chose each piece on "Women" not only for its musical brilliance but also for the emotional connection it holds for her, highlighting the often-overlooked voices of women in classical music. Esther Abrami explains:
“For as far back as I can remember, the only classical music I ever came across was written by male composers. I studied classical music for over 15 years in some of the top music schools and conservatoires in the world. During those years I never played a single piece written by a woman. It wasn’t that I actively avoided them – I simply didn’t know they even existed! Nobody talked about them, nobody played their music, no one ever introduced me to their compositions. It took stepping out of my formal education to question this reality. ‘Did any women ever compose classical music?’ Turns out they did! Just when I thought I knew all about the main classical composers, I discovered a hidden treasure. I spent months researching, drawn into a whole new world of music and stories from women left in the shadows of history. This album is my tribute to them. ‘Women’ is a journey through centuries of music, told through the voices of women who composed, fought, lived, and created despite the odds. The stories of these women inspired me to create; they showed me the importance of leaving your mark for future generations to discover. I hope ‘Women’ can inspire a new generation of young girls to compose.”
Throughout her career, Esther Abrami has been dedicated to celebrating and amplifying the voices of women composers. From her popular podcast "Women in Classical", where she interviews influential musicians, composers and women working in classical music to her EP ‘Spotlight’, dedicated to women composers, Abrami continues her mission to highlight and elevate women’s contributions to classical music. With her new album "Women", she is taking another major step towards breaking down barriers and redefining the landscape of the genre.
TRACKLIST
1) March of the Women (Ethel Smyth / Esther Abrami)
2) Valse Di Fantastica (Yoko Shimomura)
3) Flowers (Miley Cyrus)
4) Hai Luli! (Pauline Viardot) with Lavinia Meijer and the Esther Abrami Quintet
5) Wiegala (Ilse Weber) with the Esther Abrami Quintet
6) Corta Jaca (Chiquinha Gonzaga) with the Esther Abrami Quintet
7) Medhel an Gwyn (Anne Dudley)
8) O Virtus Sapientiae (Hildegard von Bingen) with the Esther Abrami Quintet
9) Apple Tree (Rachel Portman)
10-12) Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (To the Memory of My Mother) (Ina Boyle)
13) Mi Teresita ‘Little Waltz’ (Teresa Carreño)
14) Lua Branca (Chiquinha Gonzaga) with Kim Barbier
15) Solitude (Rita Strohl) with Kim Barbier
16) Transmission (Esther Abrami)