Keyna Wilkins's High Five

Historical article recovered from a Wayback capture dated 2018-02-24.

Keyna Wilkins is a versatile composer-musician at home in many musical worlds. With international classical training at Bristol Uni and Bath Spa Uni (UK), Hildesheim Uni (Germany) and postgraduate composition at Sydney Conservatorium, she has branched into jazz, experimental live theatre, flamenco fusion and improvisation. Weaving a mosaic of unique tonal patterns and rhythms creating an original intuitive musical voice, her works are a hybrid of her sonic experiences and a reflection of a multifaceted modern world. Exploratory, open-minded and globally inspired, hints of impressionism, jazz and the influence of contemporary Australian composers can be heard in her music.

She has performed around Europe and Australia including Sydney Opera House and the Basement, and many hotels and bars, in a wide diversity of ensembles and had compositions commissioned by Sydney Conservatorium since immigrating from UK in 2009. Highlights include opening the Adelaide Fringe Festival with Flamenco Australia in 2012 and opening the Picasso Exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW with French noir trio Les Violettes in 2011. In 2015 she formed her own ensemble, Ephemera Ensemble, to perform and develop her compositions and have had a series of successful shows around Sydney.

Since 2011, nine of her compositions have been published by the Australian music publishing house, Wirripang. In 2016 she completed her Master of Music Composition from Sydney Conservatorium under the supervision of Professor Anne Boyd and Doctor Rosalind Page. Her compositions have been performed around Europe and Australia including the Art Gallery of NSW, the Basement, Seymour Centre, Sydney Conservatorium’s Verbruggen Hall, Venue 505 and Old 505 Theatre and many more. She has written in a range of idioms from contemporary classical to jazz songs to theatre and dance music. In 2013 Sydney Conservatorium Spanish Encounters piano festival commissioned her to devise one of her own pieces Luna Llena for a piano ensemble and Marquez Laundry Theatre Company commissioned her to write the music for the abstract play Fred and Ginger at Sydney Fringe Festival.

Keyna teaches piano, flute and theory from her home studio in Ashbury, with a passion for helping students achieve their potential. She is also the mother of 2.5 year old twins.

1. JENNA CAVE’S DIVERGENCE JAZZ ORCHESTRA – Foundry 616, 2016

I went to some of Divergence Orchestra’s shows at Foundry 616 in 2016, after hearing alot of positive things about the ensemble but having been out of the scene a bit as I had twins in 2014. I was impressed with the level of cohesion of the group and freshness of the whole project. Jenna’s dedication and follow-through in setting up and developing the group is awe-inspiring. Also her talent for jazz composition is astounding, as is her ability to MC the event (which is something I struggle with at times!). She also has great judgment in choosing different soloists within different jazz styles creating very a dynamic range of tone colours and textures. She has made her vision a reality, which in this industry, is a difficult thing to achieve.

2. ESEN PRICE - Various solo improvised shows, 2012-2017

Elsen Price is an incredibly inspiring musician who seems to have no limits to his abilities, technically or stylistically. Indeed at times if you are not looking you would be forgiven for thinking you are listening to a virtuosic violinist! I have seen him many times over the years, but it’s his solo shows, which have been everywhere from 5 hour improvisations in cafe corners to recital hall concerts, that have really blown me away. He never holds back on his level of enthusiasm and sheer passion for the music he is playing, which is infectious, and gives you the sense that you are witnessing something very special - an all-encompassing total performance. I feel he really taps into something deep and intuitive he plays. Also I really love how he often incorporates aspects of pop, rock, jazz, folk and experimental classical music into his improvisations - after all, it’s all music.

3. CHACHY PENLAVER & BYRON MARK – Various Flamenco shows, 2012-2014

I have worked with these amazing artists in flamenco ensembles Pena Flamenca and Arrebato and have also gone to see their shows. Chachy is an amazing contemporary flamenco dancer who really showed me the amazing level of, at times super-human, precision, complexity and raw talent that is possible in a flamenco show, playing with shifting time signatures and complex rhythms. Like an actor, displaying all the human emotions, but through movement, beautiful movement. Byron is equally talented at his instrument with incredible improvisatory brilliance and raw rhythmic talent. When Byron and Chachy work together as a duo the result is very exciting, almost euphoric, as if you are entering another dimension.

4. ELODIE SABLIER - Various solo piano shows, 2011-2014

I worked with Elodie as a duo and part of a trio during these years and attended her solo shows. She is an extremely sensitive and subtle performer, a delight to watch, as her hands dance about the keys. Also she really owns whatever she is playing and puts her stamp on it. When you watch her play it is as if she is in a trance, and puts the whole audience in a trance also. Her playing communicates deep facts about the human condition: longing, happiness, forgiveness, regret, hope - it’s all there in her playing. I learnt a lot from working with her.

5. DAN JUNOR TRIO – Bohemian Gove, 2010

I saw saxophonist Dan Junor’s trio a few years ago and was inspired by the intimacy of a trio performance at Bohemian Grove, as if you are peering into somebody’s inner-most workings of their mind. The way the musicians seemed to intuitively understand each other and flow through the tunes; then totally loose themselves in the improvisations and speak a musical truth, was very inspiring.