Finding Beauty (feat. Muses Trio)

In celebrating International Women’s Day 2024, Muses Trio presents a shimmering program curated around beauty. While we may have little power over the world and what is happening in it, we can resolve to seek, create and nurture beauty, love, and kindness in our own lives, radiating outwards.  We open with the warmth of Finding Beauty and Hugged (Hilary Kleinig), and honour two forces of nature from the past, Amy Beach and Margaret Sutherland. The program also includes two works from Muses’ new 10 Year anniversary album: Ella Macens’ glowing work The Brightest Star in the Night, and the world premiere performance of Nat Bartsch’s meditative Under the Thinking Tree, written for the Muses.

View digital program: bit.ly/UQ7MarProgram 

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Biography

Muses Trio are some of Australia’s leading and most exciting musicians in contemporary classical music, known for their edgy, spine tingling and virtuosic performance style. Muses principal artists are Christa Powell (violin), Louise King (cello) and Therese Milanovic (piano). Muses Trio celebrate music composed by women, performed by women and focus on bringing this relatively unknown, yet vastly deserving collection of works, to enthralled audiences.

Signatures of their carefully curated public events are guest speakers/performers with an inspiring cause and a focus on creating memorable experiences. Discovering, inspiring, collaborating, commissioning, connecting and supporting creative women to pursue and share artistic excellence drives the passion and impetus of their artistic focus. 

They have released four albums: The Spirit and the Maiden, Celebrating Clara, Music for Calm and Catharsis, 10 Years and have also recorded for ABC Classic’s Women of Note Vol 3 and 4. In 2020, they received the ABC Fresh Start Fund to commission and record Fire Dances for ABC Classic, comprising of a short dance from a women composer in each Australian state and territory, reflecting on their experiences of the 2019–2020 devastating bushfire season. Muses celebrated their tenth anniversary in 2023, with highlights of their anniversary year including their debut EP for Corella Recordings, The Road Not Taken, and recording their new release, 10 Years that showcases five new works by living Australian women composers.

Repertoire

Finding Beauty (2023) by Hilary Kleinig*

Hugged (2022) (violin and cello) by Hilary Kleinig                                                   
 
Dreaming Op. 15 (1892) (cello and piano) by Amy Beach                                                                 
 
Under the Thinking Tree (2023)** by Nat Bartsch      

1. A Moment
2. Thinking, Thinking
3. Arrival

Nocturne (1944) (violin and piano) by Margaret Sutherland                                                               
 
The Brightest Star in the Night (2022) by Ella Macens             

1. Space and Time
2. Eternity          

*World premiere arrangement for piano trio
**World premiere