For hundreds of years, women have played the guitar. Yet even today in classical, contemporary and popular music, they remain underrepresented as professional guitarists in commissioning, programming, in bands and in session work. Why does this underrepresentation persist, and what can actually change it?

Drawing on her PhD research on women’s careers in the UK music industry, alongside her work as Founder of The F-List for Music, Vick Bain will explore the structural, cultural and socio-economic factors shaping women guitarists’ career pathways. The session will examine how inequality operates across individual careers, sector practices and wider society.

Vick will also outline why she set up the F-List and why grassroots campaigning and advocacy initiatives remain necessary, and how artists and music creators can benefit. The work of the F-List ranges from profile visibility and artist career development to sector research and collective influence.

Blending research insight with practical strategies, this talk will consider what emerging artists can do to build sustainable careers, and what organisations, networks and funders must do differently to move beyond visibility towards genuine transformation.

This special split bill concert, part of IGF Guitar Summit celebrates La Leona, women and the guitar, features star Syrian oud player, Rihab Azar, and singer/songwriter of Welsh-Ghanaian heritage, Adjua Mensah.

Rihab Azar
Aga Khan Music Award finalist (2025), Syrian oud player, composer and community workshop leader, Rihab Azar is a graduate of the Damascus conservatoire (2014) and was recognised by Arts Council England as a musician with Exceptional Promise (2016).

Rihab was the first woman oudist to perform accompanied by the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music (2014). Her music was described as ‘infinitely tender and haunting’ and ‘a beautiful balance between tradition and dreamy experimentation’

Adjua Mensah
Adjua is an Alt-R&B, Latin and funk-infused singer-songwriter and producer born and bred in Splott, Cardiff. Adjua likes to utilise the influence of her Welsh-Ghanaian heritage, showcasing her unique vocal recording and songwriting skills paired with political and soulful lyrics. With beautiful live instrumentation and harmonies, ADJUA aims to showcase the beauty and magic of full-band live music.

Adjua makes intentional soul for people who think too much and feel even more.

IGF’s Young Artist Platform (YAP) helps young musicians in the critical phase between the final stages of music education and the start of a professional career. The Platform provides much needed concert a well as a comprehensive training programme. A unique feature is the opportunity to work with a composer and premiere a new work commissioned specifically for IGF.

Maryna Vosmirova and Serhii Udod are a Ukrainian clarinet and guitar duo currently based in London. Both artists are students of the Royal Academy of Music and active performers across the UK and Europe.

Maryna, a classical guitarist, composer and arranger from Sumy, has appeared as a soloist at international festivals and is recognised for her work in chamber music and creative programming. Serhii, a Kyiv-born clarinettist, is an accomplished orchestral musician and member of leading youth and academy ensembles, performing under distinguished conductors in symphonic, operatic and theatre productions.

Together, they explore a diverse repertoire spanning Latin American tango, Eastern European folk traditions and contemporary works, alongside original arrangements and new music. Their programmes combine rhythmic vitality with lyrical depth, featuring composers such as Piazzolla, Bartók and modern Ukrainian voices. The duo is committed to presenting the guitar and clarinet as an equal and expressive partnership, bridging classical tradition with fresh, cross-cultural perspectives.

The programme includes the world premiere of a new IGF solo guitar commission, Night Sky in a Stone, by Freya Waley-Cohen.