Darcy Gilkerson is a Melbourne-based cellist and composer with a passion for contemporary classical and improvisatory chamber music. Performing in venues across the country and touring with various orchestras and ensembles, Darcy has found a home on the stage.

As a composer, Darcy is inspired by the lyricism, playfulness and drama of composers such as Schumann, Piazzolla, Nat Bartsch and Luke Howard. Darcy’s work hopes to bridge a divide between classical compositional techniques and the jazz improvisatory tradition.

His album ‘Acteon’ was released in March to great acclaim. The album is the culmination of a long period of experimentation and exploration in coupling together classical compositional techniques and jazz improvisation. At its strongest, the ensemble comprises both a string quartet and a jazz piano trio, as well as a tenor saxophone and guitar. By playing with different textures within this instrumental configuration, Darcy’s music focuses on simple ideas that are expanded and stretched into broadly layered multi-faceted conversations between multiple artists.

Darcy and his band have played at many venues across Melbourne including Tempo Rubato, Paris Cat and Jazzlab. The ensemble will be embarking on a national tour in September.

As a queer composer-performer, Darcy’s music explores themes of self-discovery, empowerment, trans love and the ever-present ebb and flow between pain and joy.

Using his skills as a performer, teacher and composer, Darcy’s goal is to invite his audience into a musical conversation and to engage in an exchange of emotion between performer and listener.