Commissioned by the Queensland Ballet for a large dance work choreographed by Rani Luther to open the new Thomas Dixon Centre, this work is in four movements, corresponding to the elements of air, earth, fire and water, tracing the experience of being uprooted from one’s homeland and moving to a new culture; or by extension, moving from a familiar to an unfamiliar situation in life.
A memorial of the composer’s mother. Poignant and grand, mixing affection with longing and melancholy through soaring melodies accompanied by ruminating ostinati, ending in affirmation: “love is stronger than death”. A piece that is very practical for students, and is often played by school and youth orchestras, but also very suitable for professional performance. Commissioned by the Australian Youth Orchestra.
“My favourite piece on the concert” - Edgar Meyer (legendary bassist, on a concert that featured his music!)
A boisterous, sometimes frenetic, outdoors burst of energy composed during a COVID19 lockdown. The extroversion, using repetition of folk-like riffs, is a foil to the restrictions and heartache of the pandemic.
This is a stretched-out, tranquil somewhat minimalist transformation of an early Baroque composition, Concerto op. 7 no. 7, by Guiseppe Valentini, nicknamed Straccioncino ("the little ragamuffin").