A new all-female professional music ensemble has started a series of concerts for classical music aficionados and amateurs alike.

The Glasgow Women in Chamber Music ensemble will host the second concert in their series of seasonal events on Sunday, September 4, after glowing feedback from their previous show.

Violist and core member of the collective, Arianna Ranieri, said: “The concert is titled Summer because of the robust and vibrant program that we’ve chosen.”

Chamber music is a type of classical music composed for a small group of instruments and meant to be played in smaller venues.

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Ms Ranieri had the idea to launch Women in Chamber Music with some of her fellow graduates from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland after seeing how much Covid had impacted the music industry while she was in school.

She said: “We realised how great it was to provide opportunities for, especially young professionals, but professional women who are just out of school, because it can be quite difficult to get opportunities right after you graduate.

“So, we just figured we want to do it ourselves.”

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She added: “The classical music industry is still often dominated by men, especially in certain instrument groups like brass and percussion.”

Ms Ranieri told The Glasgow Times that opportunities to play robust, heavy works like that of Tchaikovsky are often given to male musicians.

They hope that the all-female ensemble they have started will encourage more diversity in the Glasgow classical music scene.

Ms Ranieri said: “It’s so difficult, I think, for women to compete in the same sphere for that kind of attention and so this gives a performance opportunity for women to step up and play this really robust program.

“Also, to work together in what is a bigger picture project.

“So coming together and making unique collaborations, and showing that we don’t need male representation to make it ourselves, to put on a really fantastic concert of a very lead level, which is not something that’s been done before, at least in Glasgow so we’re kind of new with that.”

Women in Chamber Music has five core members and perform with a series of rotating guest musicians as well.

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Fellow core member of the collective, pianist Mianoora Kosonen, said: “What I think is really great is how we support each other.

“It’s women supporting women, and we also donate always from each concert to Glasgow Women’s Aid.”

The concert program is flexible and lively, appealing to a wide range of audiences with the changing sound. The musicians take time to explain each piece, ensuring both experts and novices in classical music are engaged.

Ms Kosonen said that far from the rigid or stuffy classical music some might expect, “we want to kind of bridge the gap between the performers and the audience to make it a bit more fun and accessible and keep the music a bit more alive".

Ms Ranieri added: “It’s open to anyone from anywhere who wants to come.”

The concert, Summer, is ticketed and will be held in Sherbrooke Mosspark Parish Church in Pollokshields.