14 July 2017
New album from Kitty Xiao and the Nimbus Trio
Novum explores the sound world of composer Kitty Xiao from 2013 to 2016. Her works for flute/alto flute/bass flute/bass clarinet, violin and piano explore new expression for piano trio and evoke images of renowned Australian photographers Jane Brown and Narelle Autio. The works explore themes of human potential in face of itself and the world.
Kitty Xiao is an Australian composer, pianist and collaborative artist interested in exploring sound worlds that fuse and transcend between art forms. . Kitty holds a Master of Music from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London as a full recipient of the Alfred Kitchin Scholarship, Master of Teaching from The University of Melbourne, Bachelor of Music from The University of Melbourne and was a full scholarship student at Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. Her piano and composition mentors have included Glenn Riddle, Anthony Lyons, Eugene Asti, Paul Bartholomew and Peter Knight.
Kitty is founder and pianist of Nimbus Trio. The ensemble commissions and performs new music, including Kitty’s own works. Kitty has recently been commissioned by Arts Centre Melbourne’s 5x5x5 project, Plexus Ensemble, the Australian Art Orchestra (Creative Music Intensive), Tilde New Music Festival, several films and her work has been broadcasted on 3MBS and ABC Classic FM.
Kitty’s travels abroad have seen her music performed and broadcasted in the United Kingdom and United States. Performances include in London as a soloist, a pianist of Kirolian Piano Trio, a member of Trinity Laban’s new music ensemble, at Brighton Fashion Week in collaboration with Elysium Dance, the Royal Old Naval College, Spitalfields New Music Festival, and the Royal Danish Academy of Music where she was invited by Danish composer Signer Lykke to record her work. In the United States her music has been performed at Classical Music Kegger; a concert held by the Chamber Orchestra of San Antonio, The Museum of Human Achievement in Austin, Beat the Rush; a series of gallery concerts at The Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, featured on KUTX 98.9 and recorded at Cacophony Recorders by Grammy award winner Erik Wofford.
Kitty has received awards including the Music Society of Victoria’s David Henkels Composition Award, Victorian State Premier Award, a finalist in the Areon International Composition Competition, finalist for the Margaret Schofield Award, semi-finalist for 3MBS’ The Talent. Kitty has been selected to take part in composer residency – Keep Composer’s Weird in Austin, Tilde New Music Academy and Australian Art Orchestra’s Creative Music Intensive. Kitty looks forward to producing a 6 piano concert series in 2017 and also hosting her own composer’s development program which will invite composers around the world to collaborate and network with Melbourne ensembles and musicians.
Further reading
Kitty Xiao
Kitty is an Australian composer, pianist, and collaborative artist. Kitty is founder, composer and pianist of Nimbus Trio. Kitty has released her first album Novum with Nimbus Trio as a represented artist of Move Records label. In 2017 Kitty formed the Six Piano Collective and is Artistic Director of the Six Piano Project.
Nimbus Trio
Nimbus Trio was founded in 2013 by Kitty Xiao and Jessica Laird. The trio advocates and performs new music, including that of composer Kitty Xiao; and have commissioned new works by Australian composers as well as U.S composers.
