Music is built on relationships - it is not created or performed in a vacuum. As performers of contemporary music, we have the opportunity to work alongside living composers - to question, connect and interact with them about their music. The works we have commissioned and performed are not just interesting items curated into programs, but are brought to life through these conversations as we learn more about the composers and their own specific musical languages and personalities. This dialogue has also allowed us to experience the fascinating intersection between composer and performer in the birthing of new work and to forge long-standing relationships with a significant number of composers over the years (you can see the long list of performed composers here but there are dozens more we’ve worked with in workshop and individual mentoring sessions).

Halcyon created the series In Conversation With…. in June 2018 to shine a light on Australian composers who work in vocal music, to explore their thoughts and provide insights into works that Halcyon has performed. Filmed in conversation with artistic director Jenny Duck-Chong, each interview is edited into bite-sized topical clips and hosted on YouTube. The project has been supported by the Australian Music Centre, and the clips are also embedded on composer or work pages on their site.

In Conversation With…. has been a largely self-funded project to help audiences, students and self-confessed ‘composer-nerds’ learn more about the process and practicalities of composition and the very different ways that composers can approach writing for voice. While it is a valuable educational tool, we hope it also appeals to those who just want to gain a better understanding of the person behind the music and gives them new ways to listen to their work. It features both long-established composers and younger generations to provide a snapshot of composition today. Back in November 2018 Jenny wrote an article for Resonate about the series and the first four featured composers which you can read here.

On the June long weekend, In Conversation With…. turned two. The playlist now features 10 composers - Katy Abbott, Ross Edwards, Andrew Ford, Elliott Gyger, Matthew Hindson, Gordon Kerry, Raffaele Marcellino, Kevin March, Nicole Murphy and Andrew Schultz - and 35+ clips covering topics including Writing for Voice, Setting Text, Composition, Recording, Collaboration, Being an Australian Composer and more. Three more composers are in production and more interviews are planned when travel restrictions ease.

Take some time to explore the series here and discover something new today. We have been uploading a new clip each week in June so subscribe if you don’t want to miss any new installments.

Two years on, if you have enjoyed the resource and would like to support the creation of more videos, please consider making a donation to support Halcyon in growing this resource.

In 2018 we are thrilled to launch a new video series on our YouTube channel, simply titled In Conversation With…. You can read more about the idea behind it here.

One of the joys of performing new music is to get alongside living composers and form relationships with them as well as their music. In this series we are talking with composers who have worked with, or written for, Halcyon over the years to give you insights into their works and process from their own perspectives. Edited into bite-sized clips on a range of topics, the first videos in the collection - featuring composers Elliott Gyger, Raffaele Marcellino and Ross Edwards - are now live on the playlist here and interviews with Matthew Hindson, Andrew Schutz and Andrew Ford are currently in production.

Subscribe to the channel to see the collection of insights from a diverse group of Australian composers as it grows. And add to the conversation by letting us know what you think.

A footnote: As the issue of women’s representation in music is a particularly current (and valid) one, Halcyon would like to note that it has always been pro-active in supporting female composers and musicians. If you take a look at the photos on our repertoire page (here) featuring the most-performed composers in the list, you’ll see that women have made up a high percentage throughout our 20 years. We believe in celebrating the best of music and, though gender has not been a major selection point, as we have always looked to thematic threads to construct programs, we’re proud to have been able to raise awareness of many wonderful female composers at various career stages who we have got to know both here and overseas. The video series as yet does not reflect this diversity but we are working to get some female perspectives into the Conversation soon.