There is so much to be celebrated in women's very recent achievements; Malala Yousafzai receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and her continued progress in the fight for educational rights for women, the appointment of Libby Lane as the first female Bishop, and the successful ‘HeForShe’ campaign fuelled by UN Ambassador Emma Watson. This week alone the Southbank's Jude Kelly has put together a festival dedicated to celebrating and exploring gender issues around the globe. However, the fact that we are celebrating achievements that would otherwise be accepted as the norm for men demonstrates how far we have yet to go to achieve equality.  

But what does International Women's Day (March 8) have to do with classical music? Women represent half the population, so in order to create a democratic and diverse mix of culture and opinions it is logical to include music written by women!

There is a vast amount of great work by women composers, to name a few: Amy Beach (1867-1944) - have a listen to her Piano Concerto in C sharp minor, Op 45; French composer Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983) was one of Le Six - whose brilliant works include a very interesting Concertino for piano and harp; Ruth Crawford-Seeger’s (1901-53) exquisite and innovative Scriabin-esque Preludes. I will be recording the complete Preludes later this year and performing them in June at St John’s Smith Square, London. There is also a whole range of contemporary composers: Judith Weir, Kaija Saariaho, Sofia Gubaidulina, Tansy Davies, Anna Meredith, Galina Ustvolskaya, Meredith Monk...the list is endless.

As a pianist there is an almost overwhelming amount of core repertoire, but since my time studying at the Royal Academy of Music with Joanna MacGregor my eyes have been opened to a huge range of possibilities in programming. For me this is part of the fun and I spend hours listening and discovering lots of music (Spotify is great for this). I then select and arrange with the intention of providing the audience with an insight into a new style or work, or a new insight into a classic work.

Keen to evolve my creative programming, I set up Ensemble WOW – with a mission to embrace diversity and gender equality in programming. Our last concert was held at the Rag Factory in East London. This programme was certainly eclectic comprising of existing works alongside new commissions from young composers. These all had connections to political events and the spirituality they inspire. I've always admired the way artists such as Nina Simone and Bob Dylan wrote about issues they strongly believed in. So it was really fantastic to see these brave young composers engaging with current affairs with so much passion and celebrating the essence of International Women's Day - equality and freedom of speech. The concert finale featured our collaboration with hip-hop rapper Tor Cesay, who wowed us with her profound and intelligent lyrics on identity, independence and honesty.

The new pieces included a cleverly considered work by Josephine Stephenson and her response to student protests at Warwick University, and a collection of songs by Freya Waley-Cohen based on short powerful poems by an anonymous Afghan woman called Landay, which translates into 'little poisonous snakes'. The poems are passed down through an aural tradition and have now been recorded and translated by Eliza Griswold, giving these women a voice through an artistic outlet.

I also commissioned Freya to write a piece inspired by the civil rights songs of Nina Simone for my forthcoming album 'Pinks and Blues'. The album traces the history of the blues at the piano - a style which epitomises music as a means for expressing the soul. The album features music from the earliest spiritual songs to modern versions on the tradition by Maurice Ravel and Frederic Rzewski, as well as the more upbeat contrast to the blues which I have named the 'pinks' including tracks by George Gershwin, György Ligeti and Samuel Barber.

The recognition of women’s achievements on International Women’s Day is a wonderful cause for celebration and I hope that this spirit continues every day throughout the year, inspiring all to achieve their goals, whilst providing equal pay, opportunities and rights for everyone.

As part of this it is vital that we listen and encourage the voices of the next generation of young professional composers regardless of gender or background. I hope through Ensemble WOW and my diverse approach to programming the future generation can be heard and inspired.

Visit Christina McMaster's website to find out more.