I only played compositions by men. It was only after I finished my studies that I thought about what we actually know about women’s achievements, whether in science or history. Of course, I was particularly interested in women in the music scene. I was shocked to realise that I didn’t know any female composers. After all, I make music on a professional level. So I started researching and opened the door to a whole new world.

Clara Schumann. I played one of her romances and then recorded it for my debut album. After that, I came across the American composer Amy Beach. Ultimately, I encountered so many female composers that it was really not easy to make a selection for my album Women. In addition to the music, I also studied the women’s biographies. I came across some incredible stories that I could relate to. I admire Mozart and Beethoven, but I find myself in the lives of female composers. That’s a real bonus. It’s important for girls and women to have role models.

Because she is an admirable woman. When she had to choose between her marriage and music, she chose her art. She followed her dream instead of focusing on money and security. Chiquinha Gonzaga also fought for women’s rights and the abolition of slavery. Her mother was a slave.

Absolutely. She campaigned for women’s rights, and her ‘March of the Women’ became the anthem of the suffragette movement, which Emmeline Pankhurst was also part of. Together with like-minded people, the activist demanded women’s suffrage in Great Britain. I sampled one of her speeches and interwove it with ‘March of the Women’. For me, this mixture has something very powerful about it because these women fought for a better future.

That can be frightening at times. However, I am a very positive person. I am confident that communication among women has improved significantly. We have become a community – even in the music world. For a long time, female musicians competed with each other. But now I have many wonderful colleagues. Instead of competing, we support each other.

With this song, I mainly want to appeal to my younger followers. Apart from that, ‘Flowers’ gave me strength during a break-up. I’m also interested in Miley Cyrus as a person. I find it impressive how she managed to gain control of her career after her time as a child star.

On the way to the gas chamber, they are said to have sung Ilse Weber’s song ‘Wiegala’, which I arranged for violin and a small string ensemble for my album. For very personal reasons: I have Jewish roots, some of my relatives were in Auschwitz. Since my great-grandfather did not survive the Holocaust, I talked to my grandparents about this dark part of history.

Yes. She was also a violinist, but she stopped playing after she got married. I always had the feeling that she regretted that. One day, she put her violin in my hands. Her passion for this instrument rubbed off on me. So now I am living the dream that she gave up.