A Thing of Beauty
Emily Granger (harp)
***
Acclaimed harpist Emily Granger announces the release of her seventh album, A Thing Of Beauty: a deeply personal and reflective collection that invites listeners to pause, breathe, and reconnect.
Emily is one of the country’s most compelling musical voices, hailed by audiences and critics alike as the ‘queen of contemporary classical performance’, and praised for her many outstanding recordings. This latest collection, released on the ABC Classic label, marks her return to what she says matters most in these times – simplicity, stillness and unapologetic beauty.
Featuring the work of Australian women composers, the album explores vulnerability, authenticity and emotional connection, from gentle lullabies to portraits of vivid landscapes, all through the intimate voice of the harp. It includes two new commissions, by Hilary Kleinig and Alice Chance, continuing Emily’s longstanding commitment to championing contemporary composers. Other pieces on the album began life on different instruments before being reimagined for harp — a deeply personal process that reflects Emily’s connection to the repertoire.
‘All of these works are by Australian women composers,’ says Emily, ‘and the album itself was created almost entirely by women. A Thing of Beauty is both a celebration and a statement: of artistry, of connection, and of finding calm in a complex and unpredictable world.’
Emily Granger is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary classical music, her performances hailed as ‘intoxicatingly beautiful’ (The Australian). A passionate advocate for living composers, she has commissioned and premiered more than 85 new works, with a particular focus on Australian women composers.
Her debut solo album In Transit established her as one of Australia's most distinctive harp voices, attracting an international streaming audience and bringing repertoire by living composers to new listeners. A Thing Of Beauty extends that work, deepening her focus on Australian women composers and on the role of beauty as a form of care in contemporary life.
Emily has appeared on major international stages including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House. She is Principal Harp of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and a faculty member at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, University of Queensland.
TRACK LIST
Hilary Kleinig: A Thing of Beauty
Alice Chance: Emily's Suite
Christina Sonnemann Baehr: Karoola Seasons
Anne Cawrse: Come to Me
Ulpia Erdos: Reminiscing
Sarah Elise Thompson: sanddollar
Margaret Tesch-Muller: Snow and Shadow
Tara Minton: Alby's Lullaby
Elena Kats-Chernin: Unsent Love Letters
Elena Kats-Chernin: Blue Tears
Elena Kats-Chernin: Autumn
Katy Abbott: Not Just Another Day
Christina Sonnemann Baehr: Mavista
Nat Bartsch: Call and Response
Sally Greenaway: Encore de Lirico
Sally Greenaway: Perhaps Tomorrow
***
ABC Classics CD
ABCL0147