Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

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Work Overview

This song-cycle for mezzo-soprano and orchestra was co-commissioned by the Grand Teton Music Festival (Wyoming) and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, at the urging of Sir Donald Runnicles, the SSO's Principal Guest Conductor and the GTMF Music Director. It was given its première at the GTMF on 8 and 9 August 2025.

Sir Donald came across Alex's music when conducting the première of his fanfare 'Mirage' with the SSO in 2023. By common consent, this was one of the two or three outstanding works in the SSO's 'Fifty Fanfares' program. Sir Donald was tremendously impressed and commissioned the song-cycle more or less on the spot.

The SSO sees Alex Turley as one of the most exciting young composers in the country, and for this writer 'the ocean's dream of itself' is the most exciting new piece I've heard for years. It is breathtakingly, staggeringly beautiful. The five poets whose text Alex sets - all based in WA - must be beside themselves at how he has transformed their words into something so extraordinary. His writing for voice is soaring and his writing for the orchestra is astonishing. It is the simplicity of straightforward orchestration. I do not mean this dismissively, of course, but it is very rare to hear such sophisticated textures created without any gimmickry, just with a really solid understanding of what makes an orchestra talk. There are not all that many Australian composers of whom the same can be said.

This is roughly the same view of Sir Donald, who is still raving about the piece with a sort of incredulous glee. The GTMF orchestra and soloist Sasha Cooke were also absolutely blown away. It takes a lot to impress orchestral musicians and I am entirely confident that that when the SSO performs the work, its members' reaction will be the same - as it was for 'Mirage'.

Work Details

Year: 2025

Commission note: Commissioned by Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Grand Teton Music Festival for performance by Donald Runnicles.

First performance: by Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra — 8 Aug 25. Grand Teton Music Festival, Wyoming, USA