International Women’s Day: An Interview with Anastasia Foster
For the second interview in our International Women’s Day series, we speak with Anastasia Foster (Chetham’s, 2022–24), a first-year composition student at the Royal College of Music.
Still in the early stages of her musical journey, Anastasia is passionate about exploring new ideas, collaborating with fellow musicians, and finding her own voice as a composer. In this interview, she reflects on the female composers who have inspired her, the challenges of representation in music education, and the importance of encouraging young women to see composition as a path open to them.
Can you tell us about your music practice?
I am a first-year undergraduate student studying at the Royal College of Music, London. My time at Chetham’s made me realise my drive and passion for pursuing composition. As a composer, I find it highly rewarding collaborating with other musicians and writing music that is both personal and capable of speaking to an audience. It helps me connect with others and serves as a form of self-expression.
During your time at Chetham’s, did you study and perform works by female composers?
While I was at Chetham’s, I was introduced to the music of Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023), who quickly become one of my favourite composers. I find her works and personal story inspiring. She was a creative and sensitive composer whose music has influenced my own. Errollyn Walen, Unsuk Chin and Caroline Shaw were other contemporary female composers I was exposed and who have left a lasting impression on me.
Since leaving Chetham’s, my knowledge of female composers has only grown. I have particularly enjoyed exploring the works of Helen Anahita Wilson, Daphne Blake Oram and Grace Evangeline Mason. They are all uniquely skilled women whose stories serve as inspiration for young, aspiring female composers who may be questioning their place within the highly competitive world of music.
How do you showcase historical and living female composers and musicians through your own work?
Whenever I approach a new composition, I tend to do a lot of background research and listening to help the process. Through this, I often come across female composers whose legacy has been neglected. Their music sparks my imagination and often influences what I write myself.
What challenges and opportunities do you encounter as a woman studying music?
Due to the history of music in society, it is often hard to find female composers from the past and present with published and widely known music. Because of this, in the classroom, an abundance of male names is often discussed with little to no mention of any female composers. Young women studying music may not realise that they can be composers too and can have equally successful and rewarding careers compared to their male counterparts.
What does progress towards a more equitable landscape for women in music look like?
Simply for all people to look beyond identity and focus on the music and the meaning that is being conveyed. We need to talk about and raise awareness of individuals past and present that have been underrepresented yet played an important, if hidden, part in music history.
What advice can you give to young women and girls at the start of their musical journeys?
Don’t be discouraged by previous imbalances within the world of music. There are beautiful challenges and opportunities available to us all today. Witnessing and playing a part in this change is motivating to any aspiring creative mind.
