artists
ALISHA REDMOND – composer and pianist
Alisha Redmond (b.1991) is an Australian composer and pianist whose music has been described as ‘exquisite’ (Robert Davidson, 2021). Her compositional work often focuses on the natural world, inspired by the lush surrounding bushland where she grew up in West Gippsland, Victoria. Alisha has composed works for the concert hall, stage, and screen, with a strong focus on collaboration with artists and performers.
This year, Alisha was selected for contemporary art music ensemble Halcyon’s vocal writing intensive First Stones Composer Development program, taking part in hands-on workshops alongside Halcyon’s director Jenny Duck-Chong and composer-mentor Elliot Gyger. Her work ‘a dance with a jelly-fish’ composed for mezzo soprano and cello was specifically chosen from the program by Halcyon to be premiered in their recital ‘After Dark’ in September 2022.
Other recent works include a collection of solo piano arrangements from Regermination to be released in October 2022, supported by Creative Victoria and Regional Arts Victoria.
Alisha holds a double Bachelor of Music (Classical Piano) and Performing Arts from Monash University. She began studying composition under the mentorship of Ella Macens in 2020. She currently teaches Drama, Composition and Piano privately and at St. Paul’s Anglican Grammar School of Warragul, Victoria.
Piera’s performing career has burst out of lockdown as she commences a nation-wide tour of Dance Hall with Finucane and Smith. So far in 2022, she has also portrayed the Voice of God in the world premiere of The Destroyer and made her Bendigo Chamber Music Festival debut, stepping in to sing the soprano solo in Bach’s Lutheran Mass BWV233 with less than 24 hours notice.
Despite living in the most locked-down city in the world, in 2021 Piera joined the roster of Artist Bookings Agency and became a member of the Victorian Opera Chorus. She also joined the legendary Finucane & Smith in their triumphant return to the stage at Luna Park, Melbourne and formalised her cross-over status with Jazz and Blues solo shows as part of Midsumma Festival and at the prestigious Clocktower Centre. Piera also delved into her love of art song with a solo recital for national institution Art Song Canberra.
GRAZIA MARIN – lyricist and artist
Grazia Marin was born in Italy and came to Australia as a post-war refugee. She has had a long career in the arts and creative industries. She is a visual artist, art tutor, creative writer and producer. Her qualifications include visual art, education, workplace training and assessment and psychology. She was a founding committee member of the Western Region Arts Network (WRAN). Currently she is a member of the Contemporary Art Society and the Pyrenees Arts Council. She is the art program co-ordinator at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and previously volunteered at Seventh Gallery, Fitzroy.
Grazia’s artistic practice is influenced by her social consciousness. The subject matter she addresses includes anti-war, anti-fascist ideas and the experiences of women. She uses a variety of mediums and styles. Her creative writing consists of fiction for adults and children, poems and songs. Her technical published works are in the areas of psychology and health and she has had poems published in an online literary magazine. Regermination represents the broadening of Grazia's practice to incorporate verbalisation of the visual in her written portrayal of our beautiful country.
