Sarah Elise Thompson’s new release is a meditation on grief and love
BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE As Australian composer-pianist Sarah Elise Thompson releases her newest music, the moment is bittersweet. Her five-track EP, filled with original works for […]
Featured
Louise Keast “burst into tears” when she won this $43k opera scholarship
BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE This August, operatic soprano Louise Keast was awarded one of the biggest achievements in her artform: the 2026 Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship. […]
The best Australian music can happen when orchestras support the creators
BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE One of the most defining features of the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra is its willingness to embrace creative risk. And what could be […]
Emily Granger’s calming new album is “an act of rebellion”
BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE “Play it faster, play it louder, make a viral reel, hook someone in the first three seconds before they scroll past. Being […]
How one orchestra is launching a concert season designed for everyone
BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE Every orchestra in the 21st Century faces the same challenge: how do you launch a concert season that will appeal to loyal […]
“Writing our own history down in music” with the RESPECT project
BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE Has there ever been a more appropriate time to connect with humans? To listen to stories sung and told? To come together […]
This Adelaide festival is entirely dedicated to saxophones and clarinets
BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE You don’t have to play a woodwind instrument to be part of the Adelaide Clarinet & Saxophone Festival. You only need a […]
David Hirschfelder has reimagined three of his iconic film scores
BY LILY BRYANT If you’re a fan of Australian film, chances are you’ve heard the timeless scores of Oscar-nominated composer David Hirschfelder. With credits like […]
How Foley artists use coconuts, buckets, and veggies to create the sounds of cinema
BY LILY BRYANT Picture a concerto soloist out the front of an orchestra. What image comes to mind? Perhaps they’re wearing a flashy tux, or […]
I was co-chair of the AYO Youth Council. This is what drew me to the organisation
BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE Attend a classical music performance in Australia, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t connected to the Australian Youth Orchestra. […]