Meet The Team

I’m currently in my third year studying Music at Newnham, and am in my second year Chairing the Festival. I got involved with the Festival in my first year as a composer, and found that it was the only space in Cambridge where I actually felt welcome as a composer, and I want to ensure that the Festival stays a space for all marginalised gender composers in Cambridge. My favourite composers at the moment are inti figgis-vizueta and Caroline Shaw. I’ve been mildly obsessed with Caroline’s music for years, and inti’s music is so beautiful to listen to and to look at - her graphic scores and electronic pieces have been some of my favourite listens over the lockdowns!

I am a third-year music student passionate about increasing accessibility and representation in musical composition, performance and academia. My favourite composer is Rebecca Clarke (a cliche choice from a viola player) and I love exploring and promoting lesser-known repertoire from marginalised composers. 

Over the last two years of doing a music degree, it has become painfully clear how vital it is to change what people think of when they hear the phrase ‘classical music’ (no it’s not just Bach, Beethoven, Brahms). I have found so much joy in discovering and celebrating marginalised composers/musicians at university and I can’t wait to do more of this as part of the Minerva committee! At the moment, my favourite marginalised gendered composer is Laetitia Sonami who made lots of exciting developments for electronic performance and sound art! 

I am a first-year music student at Jesus College. When not making questionable noises on the most questionable of instruments, the recorder, I can be found drinking copious amounts of tea or running in zigzags around the cows on Midsummer Common. Eager to make the most of being semi-nocturnal as well as embarrassingly fond of spreadsheets, I am delighted to be involved with this year’s festival.

I am a third-year music student at Churchill College. During my time in Cambridge, it has become increasingly clear to me that there is a massive bias in composition towards works produced by men. I am honoured to be part of a team dedicated to changing this. I am so excited to see what our composition competition produces and attempt to give marginalised gender composers a fighting chance. 

I am a third-year music student at Murray Edwards College. I have always loved performing, and am really keen for there to be more performances all around Cambridge (and everywhere of course!) of works by marginalised gender composers. Inclusivity and diversity only improves our performances, and the richness of repertoire out there is really amazing once we look beyond what we are used to and stretch ourselves to try something new, or a new composer - it really is an exciting way to be a performer! As a flautist, I love anything and everything by Katherine Hoover (of course), and I am also really enjoying listening to Clarice Assad at the moment!

I'm a third year Theology student at Selwyn.