ABC Classic and Jazz Celebrate Women in Music for 10th Anniversary Festival

ABC Classic will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its annual Festival of Female Composers from March 6 to March 8, 2026. This initiative began in 2016, championing music by women across centuries of classical music around International Women's Day.

ABC Classic's Festival of Female Composers

The multi-day radio festival will exclusively feature music by women.

Highlights for ABC Classic include three 'super concerts' compiling live recordings of remarkable female artists and their music.
On International Women's Day (March 8), Swedish vocal quartet Åkervinda will perform live in the studio. The 'Hilda-thon' will return, offering four hours of music by twelfth-century mystic Hildegard von Bingen.

Programming leading up to the festival from March 2-6 on ABC Classic will include features on women in classical music, spotlighting artists like Sally Whitwell and Anna Lapwood, and showcasing works by young female performers. The festival itself (March 6-8) will include diverse programming such as lunchtime concerts, evening concerts, and specialist shows dedicated to opera, game music, and Baroque-era women composers.

ABC Jazz Participation

ABC Jazz is also participating with a new compilation release from its 'Women of Jazz' series. This release features new music from Australian women-led projects, including saxophonist Tessie Overmyer, vocalist Lauren Kate Henderson, guitarist Jess Green, and pianist Lauren Tsamouras.

Throughout March, ABC Jazz programming will include a focus on Carmen McRae and Artist in Residence Hinano Fujisaki.

Special ABC Jazz Episodes

Special episodes on ABC Jazz include Monica Trapaga celebrating women in jazz on 'The Dinner Set' (March 6) and Australian singer and composer Michelle Nicolle presenting an International Women's Day 'Jazztrack' special (March 8), covering artists from Mary Osborne to Judy Bailey.