Research Background:

The research involved the Australian Premiere of the work “Four Songs from Hafez” (2007) by prominent British composer Sally Beamish (OBE) alongside leading British baritone Roderick Williams (OBE), as guest artists at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) in 2018.

Research Contribution:

“Four Songs from Hafez” is a notable song cycle by an international composer of high repute, consisting of settings of the 14th-century Persian Sufi poet in English translations by the Iranian-born, Glasgow-based artist Jila Peacock. Each song uses a bird or animal to describe separation from, and longing for, the Beloved. Introducing this important new music - with its unique rich blend of diverse cultural influences - to Australian audiences represents a significant contribution to the New Music landscape in this country.

Research Significance:

The Australian Festival of Chamber Music is the foremost event of its kind in Australia, attracting large in-person audiences and broad listenership nationally and internationally via ABC Classic radio and digital service. This backdrop represents a significant platform from which to disseminate the research broadly alongside my distinguished international collaborator. The performance was further peer-reviewed in the most widely-read national classical music publication, Limelight Magazine (excerpt below):

“Love was the theme of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music’s eighth day … which featured a wonderful performance of Sally Beamish’s Four Songs from Hafez by baritone Roderick Williams and pianist Daniel de Borah …” Limelight Magazine, 4 August 2018