7 May 2025.
Her piece Cabinet of Curiosities had its world premiere in 2024 when it was performed by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
Limelight reviewer Peter Donnelly described the work as ‘imaginatively conceived and beautifully orchestrated’.
We caught up with Georgia to find out more about what her inspiration and writing process.
I was fortunate enough to be part of the amazing TSO-led Australian Composers School from 2022-2023. This program gives emerging composers a chance to work with the orchestra to hone their orchestral writing skills over a two-year period and acts as a stepping-stone between study and writing professionally for orchestra.
Cabinet of Curiosities takes inspiration from the 16th Century European Kunstkammer. The first movement is a sonic representation of the Alchemical Handbell, a bell in the collection of King Rudolf II that was rumoured to be able to summon spirits. The second movement is slightly more macabre as it is inspired by the anatomical specimens of sirens and mermaids supposedly on display in different cabinets. Finally, the third movement is inspired by the machines of perpetual motion which were displayed in Athanasius Kircher’s Museo Kircheriano in Rome.
I’m inspired by musical storytelling so I started by doing a lot of research into Kunstkammer and all the weird and wonderful objects they housed. I then sketched out the musical ideas and arc for the piece at the piano before I set to work fleshing it out for orchestra. The biggest adjustment for me was that I gave birth to my son part-way through writing this piece so that really changed my writing process (sleep deprivation is definitely a challenge to creativity!).
I just love how open and friendly the TSO members are. I am so grateful to the members of the TSO for answering my questions, giving me advice and helping me to continue to learn about writing idiomatically for the instruments of the orchestra.
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Federation Concert Hall, 1 Davey Street,
Nipaluna / Hobart,
Lutruwita / TAS 7000, Australia
GPO Box 1450 Nipaluna / Hobart,
Lutruwita / TAS 7001, Australia
TSO Box Office
10am–4pm Monday to Friday
1800 001 190 — boxoffice@tso.com.au
Located in the Hotel Grand Chancellor foyer
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The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra acknowledges the traditional owners and continuing custodians of lutruwita / Tasmania. We pay respect to the Aboriginal community today, and to its Elders past and present. We recognise a history of truth, which acknowledges the impacts of colonisation upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and stand for a future that profoundly respects their stories, culture, language and history.
