Jessica Ulusoy-Horsley, Initiator and Conductor

Where did the idea for the project come from?

In 2013, somewhere between Prokofiev’s 5th Symphony and Beethoven’s 6th, I thought to myself that it would be nice to conduct something written by a woman. Whether there was any repertoire? (That an internationally-trained musician didn’t know the answer to this question is certainly telling!) I started digging, made some amazing discoveries, and launched the project frauenkomponiert.

Andrew Connolly, UK Consultant

“Bringing newly created and forgotten music to the public through concerts and recordings has always been one of the most rewarding and exciting elements of my roles. I am delighted to be able to continue this work with the Festival frauenkomponiert and direct my knowledge of the UK’s orchestral and concert scene to support women composers.“

Andrew worked at the BBC from 1996 to 2021, holding roles as Rights Manager, Music and Commissions and Scheduling Manager for Radio 3 before arriving at the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2001 as General Manager and subsequently Director. Andrew has twice been a Director of the Association of British Orchestras and now as part of his freelance portfolio he holds the same title with EM Records (English Music Festival) and is soon to become a Trustee of the Chiltern Music Academy.

Lalita Poole, Website Designer

“I am so pleased to be part of the empowering group that has created frauenkomponiert! It is very inspiring and I believe it will help women composers to feel supported.“

Lalita is the frauenkomponiert website manager. She also owns a multimedia company in the Netherlands, assisting companies and organisations to become more accessible by developing and building their websites.