This year, Zephyr has commissioned new works for string quartet from a number of female artists at different stages of their career who work in various musical fields. These included a new work by long-time Zephyr collaborator and one of South Australia’s leading composers Anne Cawrse, a work by our 2019 Featured Emerging Artist, Iran Sanadzadeh and works by some of Adelaide’s most multi-talented music practitioners; Emma Luker, Karen De Nardi and Felicity Freeman.
These works will premiere in the later part of 2019 at performances in Adelaide & Sydney and will form part of our ongoing repertoire enjoying a long life after their world premieres.
Zephyr has had a extended history of working with women composers and programming works by female artists and we have done it without a lot of fanfare. However, in the current climate we feel that it’s time to celebrate and promote this as an important thing that we have always done. Conversations are taking place all over the world about this issue, it is a matter that we feel strongly about and, in Australia, we have quietly led the way in providing at least equal opportunities to women artists.
We invite you be a part of an important and significant investment in cultural change. Your donation will go direct to the composers’ commissioning fees and support for the creation of new Australian works by contemporary women composers. Your contribution can help work towards creating change in the Australian cultural landscape where gender equity is the tip of the iceberg.
We believe that diverse composers create diverse narratives. We believe that to truly reflect the 21st Century we need to encourage more voices to help create greater symphonies.