ABOUT
Celeste Willoughby (formerly known as Edward) is a pianist, writer and composer. Celeste has been playing piano all her life, is self-taught and driven by a passion for melody and the transportive nature of music. Celeste grew up listening to Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, but always preferred playing music of her own. Earlier work in her catalogue is released under her former name, Edward.
Celeste's debut full-length album 'Moving Mountains,' was released in April 2022 after over a decade of creative soul-searching and fuses her love of classical piano with more contemporary 'baroque pop' influences, to create narrative-driven musical journeys that are full of drama. This followed from her 2018 sound design/solo theatre work 'Observer's Paradox' in which the artist explored her stage fright, nude on stage. Needless to say, it has been a long journey leading to Celeste's upcoming debut release. Her next release will be an EP titled 'Creatures of Habit' which is due for release later in 2024.
Celeste has previously worked as a solo pianist, and has composed for live dance, theatre and film. Her last major composition project, providing a sound-score for Gareth Hart's solo dance work 'Symphony of Strange,' was staged in Adelaide Fringe 2013 and Melbourne Fringe 2014. Featuring a 50-piece junkyard orchestra of found objects and fabricated instruments, this work received broad critical praise, including a 5-star review in the Adelaide Advertiser, and was nominated for Best Dance at Adelaide Fringe.
Celeste has also developed a voice as a writer, reviewing ambient and contemporary classical releases for Piano & Coffee Co. and has been an active member of her local arts and music scene, becoming involved with local radio station 3MDR 97.1FM as a volunteer on the Programming Committee and stepped down from their role as Program Manager in 2019.
MEDIA REVIEWS
Links to full articles, reviews, other press:
Magazine article in 'The Hillscene' about the creative process behind the album 'Moving Mountains'
Review of 'Symphony of Strange' in KryztoffRAW
Review of 'Symphony of Strange' in RealTime Arts
Review of 'Excavate' in Adelaide Advertiser
"Artfully composed by Edward Willoughby, this original opus is mesmerising and spellbinding”
-Review in Kryztoff RAW for 'Symphony of Strange'
"Six musos create a spectacular soundscape to Edward Willoughby's impressive score." ★★★★★
-Review in Adelaide Advertiser for 'Symphony of Strange'
"Jagged layering of sounds evokes the arhythmic patterning of everyday life, feeling strangely ‘natural’ despite the plastic, metal and glass of many of the ‘instruments.’"
- Review in RealTime Arts for 'Symphony of Strange'
"Atmospheric electronic score." ★★★★½
-Review in Adelaide Advertiser for 'Excavate'
"The electronic gurgles of the music gently complement Hart’s movements, creating an immersive bubble that is soothing and ominous in turn."
-Review in ScissorsPaperPen for 'Excavate'