Vulva Voce puts performance at the forefront, combining movement, experimentation and improvisation to produce a truly dynamic show. They combine their musical influences of folk, contemporary classical, techno and beyond, to push the boundaries of how a string quartet can sound, perform and engage with an audience. At the heart of their performance is the empowerment of women's voices and stories. The music they play is entirely created by women and underrepresented artists from across history, including original music and specially commissioned works.
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Over the past two years, their innovative approach has gained them recognition by the GRAMMYS website, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Manchester, The Strad and Slipped Disc. They have performed internationally, collaborating with artists such as Bishi, Ringdown (Caroline Shaw and Danni Lee), Ash, The Beatbox Collective, The Manatees, DJ Masa, Esther Swift, Good Habits and many more. In March 2024, Vulva Voce were invited to perform at SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, to perform on the British Music Embassy Stage, Beyond the Music and Classical Unlocked showcases. Since then they have performed at Glastonbury Festival and the opening night for WOMEX at the Bridgewater Hall. Vulva Voce are committed to a more sustainable model of touring and received funding to complete their 2023 European Tour entirely by land-travel, where they played to sold out venues across Scandinavia and Germany.
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Education and community work is a key part of their mission, with the belief that exposure to a diverse range of composers and music is crucial to making classical music more inclusive. Vulva Voce have worked with the Benedetti Foundation, RNCM Pathfinders, the Music in Secondary Schools Trust, 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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Released last year, their first single, 'Smeòrach Chlann Domhnaill' has gained traction across multiple streaming platforms and their latest single 'Weaver's Key' was released in March 2024. They are looking forward to releasing their first EP in the new year thanks to the Women Make Music grant from PRS Foundation. Renowned as part of the UK's musical heritage, Vulva Voce also features on O2's Music Mapper campaign.
JULIA SANDROS-ALPER
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Hi, I’m Julia! I’m a Swedish-American violinist. I grew up in Portugal and moved to the UK in 2016 when I started university. I started playing the violin when I was four years old, and haven’t looked back since. Alongside music, I’ve always enjoyed dance and theatre, and I love the way I can incorporate movement into my performances with Vulva Voce. I listen to music all the time, gathering inspiration from all sorts of genres, including Renaissance madrigals, Bollywood songs, and industrial techno. In my spare time, I love hiking in nature, clubbing, and watching formula 1.
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NADIA ESKANDARI​
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Hi, I’m Nadia! I’m a London-born, Manchester-based violist with Russian-Iranian heritage. I was classically trained on the piano and the viola but decided to pursue the viola professionally because of my love for playing in a string group. Through this, I’ve been lucky enough to perform with amazing musicians such as Snarky Puppy’s Bill Laurance, Arlo Parks, Sam Fender, as well as Vulva Voce! I listen to all sorts of music such as jazz, hip-hop, R&B and am keen to produce my own stringy blend around these genres. I’m currently discovering the world of electronics and love messing around with my loop pedal and multitracking recordings as well as experimenting and improvising. When I’m not playing viola, I am probably teaching, playing on my Nintendo Switch, walking around aimlessly, swimming or planning a potential dream holiday!
GEORGINA MACDONELL FINLAYSON​​
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Hello, I’m Georgina! I am a Scottish violinist, fiddle player, teacher, and composer with a particular interest in collaborative, cross-genre and multidisciplinary performances. I make and create music in many guises, whether that is creating and playing original folk music for storytellers, creating sound design for theatre, writing chamber ensemble commissions, messing about on Logic Pro, or playing and jamming with Vulva Voce. From the ages of 7 to 15 I had lessons in West African m’bira, which may one day make it into a Vulva Voce set... If I hadn’t decided to pursue music, I probably would have become a contemporary dancer. Maybe I still will!
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LUCY MCLUCKIE​
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Hi, I’m Lucy! I’m a Manchester-based cellist from Edinburgh. My musical interests range from folk, contemporary and pop all the way through to musical theatre. Having grown up in Scotland, I have a passion for folk tune learning and enjoy the opportunity to perform this genre with the quartet! I also regularly collaborate with singer-songwriters and bands to develop string lines for their tracks. I love musicals and the atmosphere that comes with live theatre performance, having recently performed in theatre productions such as The Last 5 Years and Kinky Boots. I’m interested in pairing these genres alongside a more classical style to find new approaches to learning and performing string quartet music by amazing female and non-binary composers.