Illuminate Women's Music

‘When Illuminate returns you should go and hear for yourself’ – Richard Bratby (Spectator)

We are delighted to bring the Illuminate Women’s Music concert series to Scotland this year!

Illuminate has existed in the UK since 2018, with the aim to shine light on the work and creativity of women composers and performers.

Events in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Paisley and Kinlochard will incorporate tailored concerts, talks, introductions, workshops and family friendly activities, as well as online events and resource packs, many of them free to attend.

The series will tour newly commissioned works by diverse Scottish composers, written for an incredible soprano Stephanie Lamprea and cellist Jessica Kerr. These compositions will explore Scottish folklore interpretations through innovative contemporary music angles. Historical and established works by women will be programmed alongside at various concerts, to give a rich context to the strong but neglected tradition of women’s music.

The concert at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will be the first one in the series, presenting world premieres by Simone Searles, Sonia Allori, Kate Sagovsky, Rūta Vitkauskaitė and Angela Elizabeth Slater. The concert will also include ‘Social sounds’ for voice and electronics by Emily Doolittle, and ‘Las Desaparecidas’ by Angelica Negron.

‘This important project is proving what many – yet too few, still, in the wider musical world – know already: that women have always composed music of exceptional quality, and that increasing numbers are doing so today.’ – ​Steph Power (composer, writer, critic).

The series are organised by Angela Elizabeth Slater (Illuminate Founder and Director) and Rūta Vitkauskaitė (Illuminate Scotland Director), and funded by Creative Scotland, Marchus Trust and Vaughan Williams Foundation.