Directory
Vulva Voce
'Rarely have I felt so moved (and, frankly, knocked sideways) by a string ensemble performance. Vulva Voce are new in ways that it is difficult to imagine without witnessing them perform. Refreshing, compelling, and capable of granting the listener a new emotional experience, this is a very exciting ensemble that will go on to do wonderful, and much needed things, in the music industry.'
'Astonishing talent, spellbound…phenomenal performance.'
Quartet - String Quartet
Instrumentation
- Georgina MacDonell Finlayson - Violin
- Julia Sandros-Alper - Violin
- Nadia Eskandari - Viola
- Lucy McLuckie - Cello
Repertoire
Maddalena Casulana - Ahi Possanza D'Amor
Maddalena Casulana - Morte! Che Voi?
Maddalena Lombardi Sirmen - String Quartet No. 2
Imogen Holst - Phantasy Quartet
Florence Beatrice Price - String Quartet No. 2 in A minor
Pauline Oliveros - 70 Chords for Terry
Jessie Montgomery - Strum
Caroline Shaw - Entr'acte
Trad arr. Georgina MacDonell Finlayson - Smeòrach Chlann Dòmnhaill
Vulva Voce - Nadia's House
Vulva Voce - Techno Madrigal/Ahi Possanza D'Amor
Veronika Kroell Voetmann - new commission (premiere in Stockholm, August 2023)
Bonnie Schwarz - Vinegar (new commission)
Biography
Vulva Voce is an all-female genre-defying string quartet that brings exciting, dynamic performances of music composed by women and underrepresented voices to spaces and venues beyond the concert hall. Our mission is to re-imagine what it means to be a chamber ensemble in the 21st Century. Breaking away from long held conventions of classical music and the string quartet, we aim to present a wider and more inclusive audience with radical and refreshing musical experiences. With experiences in folk, jazz, improvisation, contemporary classical, and experimental music making, our performances are a unique delve into female composers from across centuries, including our own original material, arrangements and specially commissioned works. Our performances emphasise dynamism, entertainment and musical freedom, performing standing-up and entirely by memory.
Established in 2021 at the Royal Northern College of Music, Vulva Voce are the winners of Nonclassical’s Battle of the Bands 2023, the RNCM StART Creative Innovator Award 2022 and the Elias Chamber Music Prize. We have performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Pianodrome, Connect Chamber Music Festival, Manchester International Festival, Media City Art Battle, Morito Music and MOTH Club London, and were the quartet-in-residence at the South Downs Summer Music Festival 2022. We regularly play in nightlife and performance venues across Manchester, London, and Edinburgh, but look forward to expanding our audience with upcoming performances across the UK and Europe. For International Women’s Day 2023, we staged a range of pop-up performances in public spaces across Manchester to celebrate women composers from past to present.
Vulva Voce have appeared on BBC Radio Manchester and were recently featured on BBC Radio 3's Music Matters as part of a special episode celebrating music in Manchester.
Education and community work is a key part of our mission. We believe that exposure to a diverse range of composers and music is crucial to changing the narrative about classical music to be more inclusive. We have worked with the Benedetti Foundation, the Galaxy House Unit at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, and the Untold Orchestra to create memorable and uplifting experiences through music.
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