Lux Australis 2 by Alex Turley

Lux Australis 2 by Alex Turley

LUX AUSTRALIS 2 is a new work in 6 parts by Australian composer Alex Turley, accompanied by a video work by Australian artist Mia Salsjö.
The six movements are:

Sunset
Mirror
Beams
Shimmer
Pulse
Sunrise
The evening will conclude with a supper of canapés and wine supplied by Yal Yal Estate.
“LUX AUSTRALIS 2 ("Southern Light") is a suite of contemplations on the sun and the nature of light from a distinctly Australian perspective. Our sun is intense and unforgiving, providing unique challenges to those who live under it but also a striking beauty unseen in any other part of the world.”
Alex Turley, Composer
“Early visitors to Australia were immediately struck by the harsh bleaching light of the continent, so different in feeling to the soft hues of the northern hemisphere. For visual artists, coming to grips with the particular conditions of antipodal luminosity became a touchstone of Australian art, from the colonial painters to the Impressionists and onwards. Responding to Alex Turley’s suite of compositions, it was possible to make connections between the delicate arrangements throughout and the bleaching light we know so well. The beaming sonic forms inspired the subsequent linear arrangements.”
Mia Salsjö, Artist

About the Composer
Composer Alex Turley has worked with all of Australia's major orchestras and collaborated with a diverse group of artists, including Ali McGregor, Banks, Ben Folds, Dan Sultan, Electric Fields, Emma Donovan, Eskimo Joe, Genesis Owusu, G Flip, the Hoodoo Gurus, Ngaiire, Paul Grabowsky and Rüfüs Du Sol. In recent times, he has been awarded a highly competitive Creative Leadership Fellowship from the Forrest Research Foundation, the Layton Composer Fellowship from UNSW, and won the position of Young Composer-in-Residence at the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Alex writes music that "ranges from pulsating energy to contemplative stasis" (Limelight), and has been premiered in venues such as the Sydney Opera House, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and the Kennedy Center (USA).

Musical Director
Luke Severn is an accomplished concert cellist, composer, and conductor known for his expressive performances and dynamic presence in the Australian music scene. A sought-after chamber musician, he has performed at festivals and chamber music series across Australia, Europe, and North America. Luke has toured North America alongside violinist Andrew Sords and pianist Cheryl Duval, performing works by Brahms and Beethoven. His 2019 New York City debut featured a collaboration with NYC-based composer and pianist Evan Fein as part of a recital tour on both U.S. coasts.
As a composer, Luke’s work demonstrates a deep emotional connection to time, place, and human experience, often focusing on chamber ensembles. His music has been performed internationally, and he has composed for leading Australian musicians, including pianists Yasmin Rowe and Elyane Laussade. Luke has upcoming commissions for orchestras and choirs, including a Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra. In 2019, he became the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Bendigo Symphony Orchestra and leads Melbourne Masterclasses, offering musical training both in person and online. He also teaches privately and directs several community music initiatives.

Visual Artist
Mia Salsjö is a Swedish Albanian Australian artist. She grew up in Melbourne in an extended family that included her maternal grandfather, a high ranking government official and dissident refugee who opposed the repressive measures of Albania’s Enva Hoxa regime, Irena, her ballerina mother and father Peter, a Swedish rock musician and successful fashion designer. Under the guidance of her paternal grandfather, orchestra conductor Stig Salsjö, she learnt to read music from a young age, later graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts in music improvisation. Her subsequent degree in visual art led Salsjö to arranging numeric systems, visual art and music into complex multi-disciplinary works and performances. Mia is also a graduate of the internationally accredited Kundalini Research Institute; alongside her ongoing art practice she teaches Kundalini Yoga as Joti Tajgeet Kaur. She currently lives in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick with her partner, writer and curator Damian Smith and Pixie their much-loved Miniature Pincher.
LUX AUSTRALIS is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to furthering Australian performing arts.

Our Sponsors

About the Venue

Chapter House, an elegant loft hall next to St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne's CBD, doubles as a retail space for Alpha 60 and a stunning event venue. This breathtaking space boasts wood-panelled, cathedral-high ceilings, traditional stained glass windows, sandstone walls, and polished timber floors, blending warmth with historic charm.

Host or Publisher Lux Australis