PENELOPE THWAITES, best known as a concert pianist, has written music all her life. From an early age she worked with choirs- training, conducting, accompanying and singing, and upon graduating in Music from Melbourne University, she worked as musical director for various shows. She continued to write for this medium for several years before further studies
in London with the Swiss pianist, Albert Ferber, launched her career as a concert pianist. She has played in over 35 countries, and with some of the world’s leading orchestras, and has a large recording catalogue. A strand of her work – for which she received the Order of Australia (AM) in 2001 – has been her promotion of Australian composers, and particularly the music of Percy Grainger (1882-1961).

Throughout her career Penelope has continued to write, often for specific occasions and performers. A number of her works are published by Bardic Edition and are available through Schott-Music, including her song-cycle A Lambeth Garland – commissioned in 1986 for the Lambeth Palace Garden renovation. Other commissions include music for the film Letter to Wollongong, her Missa Brevis (Church of St John the Baptist, Canberra), a piano trio Vijay’s Fable for the Triangulous piano trio, a new version of the Korowa School Anthem (Melbourne) and for the Friends of Chopin Australia, a piano trio Mazurka: au Tombeau de Chopin. Other recent commissions have included from Ex Cathedra A Song at Dawn a 10part a cappella work successfully toured in 2022, and a re-setting of the well-known hymn “For Australia”, commissioned by St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne. A further commission from St Paul’s for an anthem has followed. Her music has been performed and broadcast around the world, including here in London’s West End (the Thornhill/Thwaites musical Ride!Ride!) – subsequently going on to have more than 40 productions world-wide and to be released in Concert Version on the SOMM label with Keith Michell in the lead.

Broadcasts of Penelope’s music include the BBC (My Music, In Tune), Classic FM, ABC Classic, SCALA Radio, 3 MBS, and performances at Lambeth Palace, the Wigmore Hall, Southbank, Kings Place, St John’s, Smith Square, and many other venues.

A new recording of her music (2020) on the SOMM label – From Five Continents – presents an exciting collection of choral and vocal works. Reviews have praised the variety of the music and the superb performances from the choir, Ex Cathedra, under Jeffrey Skidmore, as well as the star soloists, soprano Carolyn Sampson, tenor James Gilchrist, and baritone William Dazeley. More details below.

See RECORDINGS for details of the 2023 SOMM recording of Penelope’s chamber music.

Penelope’s new 7-minute piece – ‘A Song at Dawn’ is for 10-voice a capella ensemble and features in Ex Cathedra’s Summer Music programme.