The life in between

Original works for piano, duos and electronics composed and performed by Michael Kieran Harvey.

Martin Friedel composer
Colin Spiers composer
Andrián Pertout composer
Johanna Selleck composer
Bruce Crossman composer
Vaughan McAlley composer

A homage to the life of Martin Friedel, this CD features his last work, …the life in between…, written for Michael Kieran Harvey, in the context of contemporary Australian composers of virtuoso piano music, all exhibiting wildly differing styles and approaches, all closely associated with the pianist. From the haunting eeriness of Friedel’s tribute to the Tibetan Buddhist Milarepa, to the extreme virtuosity of Pertout, Spiers and Crossman, to the piquant lyricism of Selleck and the muscular counterpoint of McAlley, the exciting stylistic diversity of Australian music shines through, truly providing the life in between.

Artist

Michael Kieran Harvey

Australian pianist and composer, Dr Michael Kieran Harvey FAHA, is one of the foremost interpreters of contemporary piano music of his generation. A champion of Australian music, he regularly commissions new Australian music and has performed with Australia's leading contemporary music ensembles and orchestras.

Track Listing

… the life in between … [2022] Martin Friedel
L’architecture du cosmos, no.425 for pianoforte [2014] Andrián Pertout
Not Fading Resonance [2023] Bruce Crossman

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (after Dorothea Tanning) Colin Spiers

i. “Hallway” poco lento [2021]
ii. “Duality” allegro [2021]
iii. “Sunflower” molto moderato [2021]
iv. “Doorway” andante [2021]
Homage to Liszt for piano [2013] Johanna Selleck
Toccata [2025] Vaughan McAlley

Performers

Michael Kieran Harvey

Composers

Bruce Crossman

Bruce Crossman (b. 1961) is an Australian composer who has achieved international recognition with performances in Australasia, Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines), Europe (England, Holland, Germany) and the USA.

Martin Friedel

Martin Friedel (1945-2022) came to Australia with his family from Germany as a child in the 1950s. His family settled in Narbethong, a small saw milling settlement on the Great Dividing Range in Victoria and he went on to complete degrees in physics and mathematics and a PhD in chemistry from Melbourne University.

Vaughan McAlley

Vaughan is a composer and arranger, alto and tenor, a capable flautist and French horn player, as well as engineer for countless Move releases.

Andrián Pertout

Andrián Pertout was born in Santiago, Chile, 17 October, 1963, and lived in Gorizia, Northern Italy for several years before finally settling in Melbourne, Australia in 1972.

Johanna Selleck

Johanna Selleck is a composer, musicologist, and flautist. She holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne, where she is currently an honorary fellow. Her compositions have been performed by internationally renowned artists including in Australia, Europe, the USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Malta, and Israel.

Colin Spiers

Born in 1957, Brisbane-born composer and pianist Colin Spiers studied at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, where his teachers were Max Olding, Rhonda Vickers, and Alan Lane. Graduating in 1979 with the conservatorium’s Medal of Excellence, Spiers was then awarded a Commonwealth Postgraduate Scholarship and studied with composer Philip Bracanin at the University of Queensland.

Where to listen

Product details

Catalogue number: MD 3483
List price: $25.00 AUD
Editing Engineer: Vaughan McAlley
Release date: 15 Jun 2026
Barcode: EAN 8721555368743