Linda Hirst, 70

Linda is an acclaimed mezzo-soprano and founder of the intergenerational and all-female opera company HERA, which she founded to champion and perform work by female composers. Linda works across genre boundaries and leads the field in experimental collaborations, working with everyone from Judith Weir (first woman to hold the title of Master of The Queen’s Music), to Scottish poet Ivor Cutler, and iconic rock group The Who.

Linda says: “While there are many female opera singers in the classical sector, they work in a male-dominated industry. In fact, currently only 2.5% of composers that are selected for performance by UK’s publicly funded opera companies are women. However, there is no shortage of femalecomposed opera. Women have been composing throughout history, but many great female composers were quite often stopped from working or eclipsed by their more famous husbands. Fanny Mendelssohn, for example, and Clara Schumann. These women were great composers in their own right and their music exists as proof. In the 20th century you have Rebecca Clarke and Grace Williams, and today, we have the likes of Hannah Kendall and Cassandra Miller. Introducing audiences to these composers is important, not just because it’s music written by women, but because it’s magical. Female composers are wonderful at drawing on life experience and emotions, such as nurturing and loss to bring a warmth to music. Classical music might seem less accessible than other genres, but it’s very relevant – contemporary composers tackle modern issues and events of real universal interest, such as Tansy Davies who composed an opera about 9/11. Listening to opera can also be very rewarding. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand the words – it’s about feeling.” >>