MUSIC
Album:
Moving Mountains
Moving Mountains is Willoughby's first full-length album and is the culmination of a decade's worth of soul searching and creative inquiry. Featuring 12 piano-driven tracks, this instrumental 'baroque pop' style album fuses classical lyricism and contemporary influences to delve deep into the darkerst corners of the human psyche in search of light. This cycle of songs weaves the a thread of the deeply personal and through drama-filled narrative journeys. Unfiltered and raw, this album is a candid view into the struggles and triumphs in self discovery.
Composed on Wurundjeri Country in the Dandenong Range on Celeste's recently refurbished August Förster upright piano. Handed down through the family and originating with her maternal great-grandfather, this piano was relocated to the Old Bakehouse in Emerald in December 2020 for recording, and the album was mixed and mastered by Anthony 'Tok' Norris at ToKwerX Studio. Celeste pays respects to the Wurundjeri elders past, present and emerging.
Music video: 'First Leaf Fallen' live at the Old Bakehouse in Emerald
Upcoming EP: Creatures of Habit
Sound Design and Theatre: Observer's Paradox
Observer's Paradox is a solo theatre and sound design work that was developed for a commission by experimental live arts festival HillsceneLIVE in November 2018.
This work featured a mix of theatrical and sound design elements to explore how being watched while playing music is often a distraction and a source of anxiety, and how one might trip that circuit to feel truly in the moment. Most notably this work featured a Yamaha Disklavier played remotely at an off-site location over an internet connection, sending live MIDI data from the performance.
Earlier Creative Work
Celeste's past projects have been spread across different creative disciplines, composing for live theatre, dance and film. In doing so, they have experimented with a range of styles and forms, from electronic musique concrète compositions, live improvised junkyard orchestra, minimalist sound design, and of course solo piano.
Excavate by Gareth Hart (2015) Adelaide Fringe Festival, You Are Here (Canberra).
Composer: Full length pre-recorded electronic/musique concrète composition for live dance.
Mono-Myth by Gülsen Özer (2014) HillsceneLIVE Festival (Dandenong Ranges, Victoria).
Composer: Full length pre-recorded elecronic/musique concrète composition for live dance.
Concerto No. 3 by S.J Norman (2014) Next Wave Festival.
Performer. One of 7 pianists in durational work.
Symphony of Strange by Gareth Hart (2013-2014) Adelaide Fringe Festival, Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Composer, bandleader and performer: Full-length live junkyard orchestra featuring 50 found objects/hand-made instruments played by 5 musicians, for live dance.
Library Museum dir. Ezra Larmour-Reid (2012) Short film.
Composer: Original music for film.
The Immortal Game dir. Ezra Larmour-Reid (2012) Short film. 48Hr Film Project.
Composer: Original music for film.
In-Ya-Ear by Renae Shadler (2012) Candle Ends Festival
Sound Engineer: mixed field recordings for live performance/installation.
Ellipsis by Gareth Hart (2012) Adelaide Fringe Festival, AvignonOFF Festival (France), Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Composer: single medium-length electronic/musique concrète composition for live dance.
Polly's Party by Renae Shadler (2011) Crack Theatre Festival (Newcastle).
Arranger, performer: pianistic re-interpretations of pop tracks for live comedy/theatre show.
The Space Between by Gareth Hart (2011)
Composer, performer: Pre-recorded electronic drones and live gas-cylinder drum for live dance.
