Hi everyone—been sitting on this news for a while and can finally share that I’ll be coming to Australia in the months ahead for some awesome projects!
First up I’ll be conducting this beautiful programme in Meanjin/Brisbane on 04 September in a collab with Brisbane Festival, the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra at Griffith Uni; and my ever-inspiring friend Lior. Together we’ll traverse the soundworlds of Cathy Milliken, Sam Wu, Andrew Udal, Nigel Westlake, and of Lior himself. Really excited to get to work, ignite some new passions for contemporary listening and musicmaking.. and re/connect with friends old and new in Queensland!
I’ll then be in Naarm/Melbourne for October as Musical Director of BK Opera‘s 2026 production, Tristan und Isolde. BK Opera is a punchy, ambitious operation led by director Kate Millett and consistently endorsed by Australia’s opera heavyweights. These guys are unafraid to make big work and I’m honoured to have been brought on as part of their next (mammoth) endeavour. Stay tuned for the full Cast/Creatives unveiling in the weeks ahead; also for our Box Office opening as this very limited run will definitely sellout. In the meantime, the company are inviting project support through the Australian Cultural Fund with donations welcome at all levels.
I’m writing to you all today as I prepare to head to Switzerland for the Composers & Conductors Academy Ticino, where I’ll rehearse and conduct Parisian icons Ensemble intercontemporain in new music by Francesca Gaza, Olga Pasek and Lukas Stamm.. plus getting into the bones of 13 more very beautiful scores which have barely had time to hit the desk before we take to the road together! I cannot wait to discover what these pieces are planning to teach me.. this will be my first trip back to Switzerland since last summer and really looking forward to getting my fill of Lake Lugano before heading to the mountains to work like mad..
I also had an extremely intense week in Aldeburgh earlier in the month surtitling Pelléas et Mélisande for Britten Pears Arts. What a luxury to have so many hours of laughs in my surtitling cave with actor-director Rory Kinnear..
and this unplanned reunion with my old friend!
Big thanks as always to those of you messaging about mixtapes—lots of positivity this month! May we all keep opening our minds and ears, feeding the curiosity, supporting our composer-creator friends by hitting that play button.. signup for my mixtape feed at: kellylovelady.com/category/mixtapes
Obviously heaps to look forward to but I do still have some space in the diary.. so for any AUS and NZ friends who could use me in September/October for conducted projects; ideas in the dream/development phase; jump ins, rehearsals, coachings, masterclasses, mentorship, creative thinking, interviews.. hit me up! All is possible if we can imagine it..
Hope you’ll make it to Sydney this trip.