ABOUT KEYNA
Keyna Wilkins is a pioneering Australian/British composer-musician, radio presenter and human rights advocate. She was one of three finalists for the Australian Art Music Awards for Individual Excellence in 2021 and 2018 (APRA/AMCOS). Her music has been described by The Sydney Morning Herald as "arresting, genre-blurring...disquieting music with massive breadth and high drama", by Limelight Magazine as "Debussy, Miles Davis and flamenco in equal parts...an irresistible mix" and Jazz in Europe as "creating soundtracks for the biggest issues in our time". She has written over 60 art music works that are performed internationally and published by Wirripang, has been featured on ABC, and writes music for TV, film and theatre. Having released 13 albums of original music, she performs regularly as an innovative soloist, improviser and leader of cutting edge ensembles around the world. Described by Jazz Journal UK as "a powerhouse player", Wilkins has full representation with the Australian Music Centre and has six tunes in the Australian Jazz Realbook.
Stylistically broad, her music embarks on a journey of impressionistic dream-like sequences alongside astronomical landscape depictions, existential spiritual quests, and whimsical gestures alongside driving rhythms, often with a strong improvisational aspect. In 2021 -23 Wilkins collaborated on albums and compositions with six refugees detained on Nauru and Manus for nine years by the Australian government via zoom from their prison cells. Since 2024 Wilkins has used poems from Gazan poets such as Refaat Alareer.
Her major works include a triple flute concerto "Solar Triumvirate" (2022) and a didgeridu concerto, "Celestial Emu" (2020), which she wrote in collaboration with leading indigenous didgeridu soloist, Gumaroy Newman, both performed by The Metropolitan Orchestra. She is also a piano and flute teacher and has developed a method of teaching improvisation "The Inner Game of Chance" (2024) published by Wirripang.
Stylistically broad, her music embarks on a journey of impressionistic dream-like sequences alongside astronomical landscape depictions, existential spiritual quests, and whimsical gestures alongside driving rhythms, often with a strong improvisational aspect. In 2021 -23 Wilkins collaborated on albums and compositions with six refugees detained on Nauru and Manus for nine years by the Australian government via zoom from their prison cells. Since 2024 Wilkins has used poems from Gazan poets such as Refaat Alareer.
Her major works include a triple flute concerto "Solar Triumvirate" (2022) and a didgeridu concerto, "Celestial Emu" (2020), which she wrote in collaboration with leading indigenous didgeridu soloist, Gumaroy Newman, both performed by The Metropolitan Orchestra. She is also a piano and flute teacher and has developed a method of teaching improvisation "The Inner Game of Chance" (2024) published by Wirripang.
