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In the next two years IGF is commissioning 11 new works from female composers, some in the early stages of their careers, some mid-career as well as well-established composers.

The guitar is widely regarded as a male dominated instrument and IGF in its 25-year history, has always sought to address the balance by commissioning many women composers and such ground-breaking projects as Girls Rock and Venus and the Guitar.

La Leona (the Lioness) is IGF’s new project focussing on women and the guitar.

Apart from new commissions all IGF’s festivals and concert series will feature women performers and include supporting events such as Q&A, Panel Discussions, workshops and seminars.

The project was named after ‘La Leona’, a legendary guitar built by Antonio de Torres in the mid 19th century (1856, FE 04), Torres revolutionised the construction design of the guitar producing a deeper bass and singing trebles. His big body guitars (guitars before Torres were generally much smaller) became the standard classical guitar we know today. La Leona was his best guitar played by a number of famous guitarists.

Today’s Panel Discussion is led by Thérèse Wassily Saba and will include the five composers whose work is being performed at the festival: Atefeh Einali, Florence Anna Maunders, Electra Perivolaris, Laura Snowden and Sun Keting.

Australian-born Thérèse Wassily Saba obtained her degrees in Music and Arabic from the University of Sydney before completing her studies in classical guitar in Spain with José Luis González. She has been based in London for over 30 years where she works as a writer, editor and musician. While working as the News Editor of the monthly Classical Guitar Magazine for 25 years, she also published articles and interviews in magazines such as International Record Review, Flamenco International and Gendai Guitar. She contributes to the German contemporary music dictionary – Komponisten der Gegenwart and is working on a biography with the instrument maker Paul Fischer.

Atefeh Einali currently resides in Manchester, UK. She has completed her master’s degree in composition at the University of Manchester. As graduate of the Art University of Tehran, she is also an active santoor player. Recently, she finished her piece in the Composing for Sitar scheme in Psappha. Also, she was one of the winners in SIMF (ACIMIC; The Association of Iranian Contemporary Music Composers) competition in France in November 2018. Moreover, her pieces have been performed by Jae-Won in Zutphen, the Netherlands in Bach festival, Alternance ensemble, Trio Atem and Danel quartet. In addition, one of her pieces (The voice) has been published in volume 23 of Women and music: A Journal of Gender and Culture (WAM Journal), the USA. She is also a co-director of contemporary fusion ensemble (Avazad) in Manchester.

Florence Anna Maunders studied at the RNCM, and after a long break, is now establishing herself as a composer. She writes direct, exciting and turbulent music, often revealing influences and echoes of her experience of electronic dance music production, jazz arranging and performance and her interest in the traditional music of the Middle East & Balkans. She’s currently working on a number of exciting projects, including rehearsals for her new anti-war opera, Goliath, and a score for the short film, Querent, alongside commissions for a range of soloists, choirs & ensembles in the UK, Europe and the USA.

Electra Perivolaris has been described as a “Classical Star of the Future” by BBC Introducing, as well as “one of the most exciting composers emerging in Scotland today” by Sir James MacMillan. She is Ambassador for the BBC Young Composer scheme, an Associate Member of the London Symphony Orchestra’s Soundhub scheme, and is working with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra on their ‘New Stories’ scheme for emerging female composers. Her music has been performed by musicians of the Aurora Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers and London Symphony Orchestra. She was chosen to represent her generation of young female composers as part of BBC Radio 3’s ‘Seven Ages of Woman’ commission.

Sun Keting is a London-based Chinese composer and artist currently studying PhD in composition in the Royal Academy of Music. Her recent works focus on performing arts and instrumental sound exploration combining Eastern cultural, spiritual and philosophical elements. In recent years, she received commissions from the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Singers, The Riot Ensemble, The Silk Road Ensemble, The Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra and The National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan. Previously Sun received commission from CAN for the LSO Eclectica: East meets West concert premiered by the LSO and the Silk String.

Hailed a ‘string sensation’ by BBC Music Magazine, British-French guitarist and composer Laura Snowden is acclaimed for her ‘poise and intensity’. Laura studied with Julian Bream and gave two of the Bream Trust recitals at Wigmore Hall, premiering his latest commissions; this led to international recognition and festival debuts across Europe and the US. As a composer, Laura’s music has been performed at Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall and Sadlers Wells, commissioned by the Park Lane Group, Birmingham Symphony Hall and International Guitar Foundation (IGF), and broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Scotland and Hong Kong Radio 4. Laura is a double IGF Young Artist Platform awardee and laureate of IGF’s London International Guitar Competition.