Marking the fifth year of Eliza Shephard’s (alum 2018, flute) ambitious recording project ‘March of the Women’ (MOTW), Eliza has teamed up with some of the most innovative and diverse female flautists from across Australia and around the world. Each of the 31 musicians (one for each of the days of the month of March, for International Women’s Day) have selected a work by a different Australian female composer to be released on a series of albums to be launched on 19 July 2024. We spoke with Eliza ahead of the big launch.
Previously, the last four iterations (2020-2023) were performed solely by yourself, an absolutely massive undertaking requiring significant stamina! How did you select the performers for this year’s project?
I felt that it was extremely important to represent a diverse range of artists, with varied careers as well as early, mid-career and established artists. I want up-and-coming creatives to see themselves reflected in the artists involved in MOTW 2024 as well as demonstrate potential career pathways that some may not have previously considered. I approached artists whose voices I thought would bring forth exciting musical elements and provide for a multidimensional March of the Women.
Portfolio artists (such as myself) are on the rise in our industry, and through this project I aim to celebrate the diverse creative journeys of our artists. There’s no specific pathway to become a ‘successful musician’ – you can carve your own path and have an adventure with your creativity.
Musicians Matt Withers (guitar) and Issie Brown (flute) with Eliza after the recording of Leah Blankendaal's 'Salt in my eyes in my hair in my mouth'.
You’ve certainly had quite an adventure already uncovering so many gems written by Australian female composers through this project! For this year’s MOTW album, did you match the repertoire with the performers, or did they select their own works? And have you discovered any works through this year’s MOTW that you’d like to play yourself?
My focus for MOTW has always been to find works written for flute across multiple genres that are suitable for a wide range of playing abilities. When browsing through the MOTW recording catalogue, hopefully any player can find a piece of music that they connect and resonate with.
For this year’s MOTW, I had great fun deep-diving into the abyss of published music by female Australian composers, and I generated a list of around 250 pieces for ‘flute+’ (any works involving flute, from solo flute, to duos, trios, etc.). I put this list to the MOTW 2024 artists so that they could select a work that either spoke to them, or matched their artistic voice, or written by a composer with whom they already had a connection. I also invited the artists to put forward any works that they may have commissioned themselves or knew about that I hadn’t yet uncovered in my research. Plus, many of the works didn’t yet have recordings, which was both another challenge and an exciting adventure when piecing together the entire project!
Alyse Faith (flute), composer Julia Potter, Sandra Ionescu (viola) and Eliza at the recording session of Julia's work 'What Lies Beneath'.
Many of the works in MOTW 2024 are pieces that I personally connect with or are works that are currently on my to-be-performed list. The biggest benefit of having so many diverse artists involved has been the depth of knowledge and expertise that they bring to the project, and many of them recommended works that I hadn’t heard of previously, which have now moved onto my must-play list!
ANAM alum Laura Cliff (flute) with pianist Alan Hicks; the duo recorded 5 Solos for Flute and Piano by Miriam Hyde.
What delights and challenges have you experienced during the process of recording and producing the works for this year’s MOTW album?
I would have to say that connecting with so many enthusiastic, talented and passionate musicians has been my personal highlight in this year’s rendition of MOTW. Celebrating the voices of Australian female composers and bringing together a community of music-makers for this project has been pure joy, and interacting with so many inspiring artists with such diverse musical voices has been such a treat.
There have been many little things that have hindered the project in various ways (‘Murphy’s law!’), such as illness, injury, and other disruptions that I’ve had little-to-no control over. But I have seen my own skills and confidence grow whilst dealing with these setbacks, and I’ve learned an enormous amount about communication whilst curating this ever-changing creative concept. After managing such as mammoth project like this year’s MOTW, I know I can take on any challenge in my stride!
What impacts have you seen with this project, now in its fifth year? And what do you hope will be the legacy of this year’s MOTW?
March of the Women has grown in so many ways since it was first launched in 2020. Collaborations between multiple different artists and organisations have flourished, and it has resulted in several new commissions. Works by emerging composers, as well as works by historical composers, have been brought to prominence and given a new platform.
I hope that this year’s project leaves behind a legacy of inclusion and diversity, alongside a demonstration of our rich and eclectic Australian music scene. Having so many flute players involved from all walks of life is a testament to how prolific our Australian artists are in their music-making. Fingers crossed that it inspires musicians and arts organisations to contemplate their repertoire choices more thoughtfully, and to eliminate the misinformed idea that ‘there are no female composers’ or that ‘there are no good works by female composers’.
What’s coming up in the pipeline? Any hints about future of March of the Women projects?
MOTW 2025 is currently in the planning stages already – new commissions and brand-new recordings, a national tour of repertoire with artists from around Australia, mentorship and education, and discussions on composer-performer collaboration. In the future I would like to make this project international, bringing together flute players from around the world, and continue to spread the message of uncovering and discovering the diverse repertoire in existence for our incredible instrument.
Commissions are very much in my line-of-sight for this project, and generating a rich body of work for musicians and audiences of all ages to engage with and enjoy is something that’s very important to me.
MOTW has been about giving music life beyond the premiere, and sharing music with as many people as possible. This sharing and creation of community inspired MOTW 2024: Connecting Australia and gives me motivation to keep taking MOTW to new and invigorating places. I want to grow as an artist, and inspire artists of all walks of life that if we want to make a change in the world, the first thing we can do is take a step.
All three albums for March of the Women 2024: Connecting Australia are launching on Friday 19 July 2024, available on all streaming platforms online (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.), and physical CDs can be purchased at elizashephard.com
Performances of MOTW from all previous years are also available to view on Eliza’s website.
If you would like to support the future of this project, click here.
March of the Women 2024: Connecting Australia includes performances from the following ANAM alumni:
Lina Andonovska (alum 2011, flute)
Cathy Milliken: Round Robin (2001) for solo piccolo / flute / bass flute
Lily Bryant (alum 2022, flute)
Liza Lim: Bioluminescence (2019) for solo flute
Laura Cliff (alum 2023, flute)
Miriam Hyde: 5 Solos for Flute and Piano (1949-68) for flute and piano
Anna Cooper (alum 2013, flute)
Fran Griffin: Blackheath (2020) for solo flute
Kim Falconer (alum 2016, flute)
Peggy Glanville-Hicks: Sonatina (1938) for flute and piano
Tamara Kohler (alum 2014, flute)
Alice Chance: Inhaltations (2021) for multi-tracked bass flute
Lilly Yang (alum 2021, flute) and Amanda Pang (alum 2021, piano)
Catherine Likhuta: Me Disagrees (2010) for flute, alto saxophone and piano
Words by Laura Panther (Senior Alumni Coordinator) and Eliza Shephard (alum 2018).
Photo credits: Eliza Shephard by Cameron Jamieson (alum 2017); all other photos by Eliza Shephard.