COMPOSITIONS

Melanie enjoys writing music for friends and colleagues, and her work is published in the Edition Schott Composer Series. She also writes educational music for students.

Her music has featured at the Shiga Bank Piano Festival, and a Livestream concert held at the Watsuki Hall, both in Kyoto, Japan, and it was also featured in the Chamber Music Series at Toppan Hall in Tokyo.

European performances include the Montecatini Piano Festival in Italy, and the UK as part of Piano Week. A new piece, Incantation: Rousing The Dead for Two Pianos, was recently performed at the Kolarac Hall in Belgrade, Serbia. Recorded for the new Steinway Spirio piano, during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Melanie’s piano pieces Aisa: Sand, Silk & Love, and Heiwa, were also broadcast live on Radio-Berograd and RTS, Serbian National Television, played by Japanese pianist Aisa Ijiri.

Her educational piano music has been included in piano festivals, international piano competitions, and music examination board syllabuses. The duet ‘Celebration’ (from Snapchats duets and trios; 80 Days Publishing) features in the RSL Classical Graded Music Examination Board appearing in the ‘Debut’ level of their new Classical piano syllabus (2021). Dancing Through The Daffodils (from No Words Necessary: Schott) is on the Grade 6 syllabus for the London College of Music piano exam syllabus (2021 – 2024). Four piano pieces currently appear on the syllabus of the International Performing and Visual Arts Examination Board, based in the Far East. She wrote, compiled, and annotated the complete 2021 – 2024 piano syllabus for the London College of Music’s pre-grade one exams (Pre-Prep, Step 1 and Step 2).

One of ten selected female composers in Pianist Magazine’s 10 Women Composers You Have To Know, Melanie’s piano music is included in a digital anthology published by Pianist Magazine, Play Women Composers. She is currently writing an elementary piano music series for Pianist, contributing a new piece in every issue.

Chasm from Simply Driven (Schott), played by pianist Maiko Mori, was used as the soundtrack for a promotional film for the Curation Hotel Association BABID in Japan, in both their online and TV campaigns.

Find out more about her publications here, and listen to a selection of pieces by clicking on the links below.

Chamber Music

Gratitude for Wind Sextet (2020)

This short piece written for the London Myriad Ensemble as part of their ‘remote recordings’ project for the lockdown period during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vortex for Piano Quintet (2019)

A one-movement piece for strings and piano. Written for the Solomon Piano Quintet and performed in January 2020 at Toppan Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

Trance for Piano Trio (2019)

A one-movement work for piano, violin & ‘cello. First performed in July 2019, by dedicatees Warren Mailley-Smith, Harriet McKenzie, & Tim Lowe at St. James Church, Piccadilly, as part of the Piccadilly Chamber Music Series.

Chakra Suite for Clarinet & Piano (2020)

This Suite, written in July 2020, is dedicated to clarinettist Nadia Barbosa & pianist Yuki Negishi; hear each movement, complete with Nadia’s introduction to every piece, by clicking on the playlist.