Winter Suite was written for the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and was selected as the
winning work of their 2019 Young Composer Awards. It was first performed at The
Concourse in Chatswood, Sydney in June 2019.
Many pieces have been written about winter to the point of cliche, however, I felt
compelled to put my spin on the subject matter. My version of winter is very Western
Australian. In the Perth Hills, where I reside, snow is absent during the winter season.
Instead, we experience frequent rain, gusty winds, and dense fog, transforming the native
trees into a breathtaking dark red hue and filling the air with the refreshing scent of damp
eucalyptus and indigenous flora. Despite Perth's reputation as a hot city, the Perth Hills
can become remarkably cold in the wintertime.
For the final movement, I decided to include one aspect of winter which is very import
but hardly ever spoken about – warmth. In particular, the warmth of friends and loves ones,
a type of emotional warmth, so to speak.
I would like to thank Willoughby Symphony for the opportunity, for playing my piece so
elegantly, and granting me the permission to use the recording.