Her Ensemble

A startling amount of music composed by women has been neglected, and Her Ensemble—the UK’s first women and nonbinary string orchestra—is here to redress that. Founded by violinist Ellie Consta in late 2020, when COVID-19 rumpled the lives of classical and pop musicians alike, Her Ensemble challenges not only the male-dominated repertoire but also the performance traditions of mostly patriarchal institutions. The ensemble’s debut was an online appearance for the 2020 Christmas season. In live performance, they adopt a loose, audience-friendly atmosphere, flouting formal dress codes and stale conventions. Her Ensemble also wants to encourage a more expansive range of gender identity and expression among classical music performers and audiences. When you see the group live, you experience a jaunty take on contemporary and centuries-old music by important women composers, cast in the new light of 21st-century diversity. Programming has included Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), the resurgent Florence Price (1887-1953), and contemporary figures Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres and Anna Meredith. Her Ensemble breathes fresh air into the conservative classical music industry.