Biography

Melody Eötvös (1984) is a Bloomington IN-based Australian composer whose work draws on both multi-media and traditional instrumental contexts, as well substantial extra-musical references to a broad range of philosophical topics and late 19th Century literature.

She has studied with a variety of composers across the globe, including Gerardo Dirié (Australia), Simon Bainbridge (UK), and, most recently Claude Baker & David Dzubay (USA). She has also studied electronic music with Jeffrey Hass, John Gibson, and Alicyn Warren. Melody has been the recipient of various awards including the 3MBS National Composers Award (Australia 2009), an APRA PDA (Australia 2009), and the Soundstream National Composer Award (2012). Current projects include an Australia Council Grant to compose a new piano sonata for Bernadette Harvey (Sydney, AUS), a Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commission administered by the League of American Orchestras and the EarShot Foundation, composer resident for the Black House Collective (USA), commissioned composer for the Synergy 40×40 project (Sydney, AUS), Gallipoli Song Competition Winners Recording (AUS & NZ), and will be attending the Aspen Music Festival 2015 as a composer fellow.

Melody holds a Doctor of Music (2014) from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music USA, and a Master of Music (2008) from the Royal Academy of Music, London UK.

Composer website:  http://www.melodyeotvos.com.au/

Featured Works

Olber’s Dance in the Dark, for string quartet.

At night, step outside and, weather permitting, take a look at the brightly lit backbone in the sky. The catch in Olber’s paradox is that it is impossible for the universe to be infinitely large because, if it were, there would not be a dark sky at night, due to every point in our line of sight being taken up by the forever existing light of a star, whether near or far, similar to the way you are not able to catch sight of the landscape which sits just beyond a dense forest of trees stretching out for miles and miles.

Featured in Playlist 2: Other-Wordly Waves (28/2/2015)

Beetles, Dragons & Dreamers, for orchestra. Mvt II: Lilith, Begone Mvt III: The inanimate spider

These orchestral pieces (there are four movements total) draw their inspiration from the concept of four Mythological or Ancient ‘relics’ that, over the ages, have been carried forward into the present time with their meaning gradually transformed or altered to represent something more modern but still commonly encountered in our western culture.

Featured in Playlist 5: Nature Waves (31/5/2015)

Six Piano Minikins, for solo piano.

Featured in Keyboard Waves November 2016