Women from different professions unite to form orchestra

ANKARA

The Ankara Women's Orchestra, composed of women from diverse age groups and professions, performs concerts for female audiences, showcasing a rich repertoire spanning various languages and styles.

The Ankara Women's Orchestra consists of 19 women, including female musicians and vocalists playing instruments such as guitar, violin, qanun, drums and flute.

The orchestra was brought together by violinist and conductor Gülnihal Karamağara, who said that they are working to gain musical experience with women and elevate their skills to a higher level.

Karamağara mentioned that she had called on women in Ankara last year to form the group, adding, “In my nearly 15 years of performing on stage, I’ve observed that women draw strength from seeing female artists. The inspiration they gain motivates them to enroll in instrument courses and take singing lessons.”

She said that women also need a space where they can offer their music and that the Ankara Women's Orchestra emerged as a response to this need. Karamağara described the group as a mix of professional, amateur and intermediate-level women, all of whom play instruments and sing.

"We worked on how we can develop our music, how we can gain the experience of making music together. We can say this process has brought us to our dreams. Today, we are on stage filling an audience in a magnificent hall, like the Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO), with women who once played music alone in their rooms," she said.

Karamağara expressed that making music especially for female listeners makes them happy. “We may seem like we are limiting ourselves by only making music for women, but we feel much freer in this space. Singing together, even shouting songs with 2,000 women in a hall, really offers a great space for expression and makes you feel truly free. This is an area where we feel free and happy," she added.

The orchestra’s drummer, 43-year-old Handegül Terken Kabakçıoğlu, said she started playing the drums at the age of 37 and shared the excitement of performing a concert at CSO Ada, one of Ankara’s largest stages, after a year of intense practice.

One of the vocalists, 24-year-old Vokal Sena Atlığ, a student at Aksaray University Faculty of Medicine, said she comes to Ankara from Aksaray every weekend for rehearsals. "This place is a relaxation space for me, the space where I feel I can express myself more, so I am very happy to be able to manage both my education and singing," she said.