Violinist spotlights women in new album
From Oscar winners Rachel Portman and Anne Dudley to historical composers Ethel Smyth and Pauline Viardot, 14 women feature on the record, which was released on Friday.
Abrami, a graduate of London's Royal College of Music, describes her third album as "a collection of music and stories from women across the centuries, starting from the Middle Ages all the way up to today".
"In 15 years of studying music, I didn't play a single piece written by a woman," she told Reuters.
"If I ask anyone who's not into classical music to name me one woman who composed classical music, they're usually unable to. If I ask them to name one man who composed classical music, everybody can at least give you one name. So I think that's kind of what inspired it, I want things to change."
On the track list are arrangements of original compositions including March of the Women by Smyth, featuring the voice of fellow women's suffrage activist Emmeline Pankhurst, as well as Wiegala by Jewish poet Ilse Weber, who composed songs for children while at the Theresienstadt camp during World War Two.
"I chose pieces that touched me," Abrami said. "(These women) are incredibly inspiring and I hope they can also inspire young girls to want to compose music themselves."
Modern touches include Miley Cyrus' hit Flowers and Abrami's own composition Transmission, inspired by her grandmother, who was also a violinist.
Abrami, who has a loyal social media following, has long championed the voice of women in classical music, interviewing various figures on her podcast Women in Classical.
"I think it's refreshing to hear different pieces of classical music, different composers," she said. Reuters
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