2023 reflections…
While already being a week into 2024, I still wanted to take the time to really highlight some incredible 2023 moments because even though these sort of posts can be a lot, personally I value the reflective exercise and seeing the different facets your artistic practice can manifest in a single year (particularly if you haven't taken the proper time to 'journal' it down mentally and/or physically!). Additionally and apparent in the second half of 2023, my socials output on this page lagged behind my other mediums due to low capacity, which is already a learning lesson going into this year and a stark reason for doing this post. I wanted to list, in no determinable order, some really incredible moments (and people!) that I am so grateful for in 2023, especially as many (if not all of them) have created exciting ripple effects for this freshly new 2024 🌊
1: composing my first song cycle 'Our Duty to Care' (with text by dear friend Savanna Wegman) and delivering it in a curation at the Fine Arts and Music at Melbourne - VCA & Conservatorium Hanson Dyer Hall as part of my 2022-23 Wattle Fellowship with the incredible Bridgette Kelsey Georgina Lewis Stephanie Arnold and Isabel Hede. This was a massive moment for me as a composer and curator, seeing 230+ audience members of so many different walks of life (inc. octogenarian nun Sister Brigid from the Sharma Litigation) come together for what as recognised as having 'a memorable sense of community throughout the evening... rewarded with a captivated audience' (Lily Begg w/ classikON). I could go on and on about invaluableness of this cross-disciplinary meeting of my legal, musical and environmental identities being received with such overwhelming support, but will also leave that deeper reflection for our exciting return of this curation at OUR DUTY TO CARE: Worlds Collide | Tempo Rubato in a month's time 03/02/24 (more on this imminently)! 🍃
2: receiving a birthday commission is a really special kind of commission, so being able to compose a new flute and piano work for Debbie Brady and have its world premiere at her 60th birthday party was such a heart-warming experience, particularly with 'SKY-STAINED WAVES' being based off Debbie's own stunning water colour art and who she is. I now, cannot wait for more flautists to take and interpret this work, with two stunning ones already primed: the incredible Simone Maurer performing it during her US tour very soon this Jan/Feb and my dear friend Martina Rosaria O'Connell performing it later on this year in Ireland for her Masters Recital.
3: receiving a commission from my past high school Mentone Grammar to compose a new duo work for Avelyn Reynolds's Music Performance 3/4 VCE recital was another incredible commission. As commemoration of MGS' 100th year, I had the beautiful opportunity to compose 'Trying to catch a Will-o'-the-Wisp' for violin and vibraphone for Avelyn, who incredibly and in no surprise received a 42 overall study score in the subject. I have known Avelyn since she was in yr5 and I was in yr12, performing in chamber music soirees and orchestral concerts during my final year in 2016. To now be a part of her final secondary schooling year in such a meaningful way was nostalgically beautiful, and I am so grateful to my past music teachers and MGS staff Lidia Mancini and Natalie Morgenstern for making this possible.
4: 2023 also proved to be the dawning of a 'flute era', with 3 incredible flutey moments alongside Debbie's premiere. Composer/pianist and dear friend Sam Williams and I presented our return debut to live performance, presenting our sold out concert 'Expanses' at Tempo Rubato at the beginning of the year. We both quickly realised how much we missed performing more frequently, and the undeniable value it also brings to our compositional practice – we cannot wait to build on this soft launch of our impending duo this 2024. In another vein, after winning the 2022-23 Leslie Barklamb Flute Composition Competition, 2023 was the year of the scholarship competition taking place, and was such a memorable experience to see 18yrs & younger emerging flautists battle it out in competition with 'Feathers Taking Flight' as the Intermediate Set Piece at The Victorian Flute Guild, Melbourne, Australia's 50th Anniversary of the Scholarship. A massive thank you to the VGF, Melbourne Composers' League and especially Johanna Selleck, particularly as they took all the new compositions commissioned as part of this to the 2023 Australian Flute Festival. It was a longtime dream to be featured at the AFF and having Feathers performed by Lily Bryant and Anna Rutkowska-Schock was incredible to witness.
5: other incredible 2023 moments included 2023 TEMPO QUEER features, including 'Intercept' in Leigh Harrold curation and 'Crossed Stars' in Coady Green curation; Our Duty to Care being screened in the Australian Global Health 2023 Film Festival and features in the 2023 fortyfivedownstairs Chamber Music Festival by Coady Green, including 'Syrup and Silicone' by the innovative Divisi Chamber Singers and 'See through me' by Solstice. Not being an exhaustive list, I still wanted to highlight these specific moments and will endeavour to share more consistently all of 2024's,.
