My first glimpse of Cairns-Gimuy was from the window seat of a Virgin Australia Boeing 737. The clouds parted, revealing a city framed by lush, verdant mountains and the coral-blue ocean. This being January, and thus the rainy season, the mountains were cloaked in mist, hesitant to show their peaks and ridges.

Sam Wu in Cairns. Photo © Brian Cassey

My visit came at the invitation of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, where I will serve as this year’s Emerging Composer-in-Residence [in the AFCM Pathways Program]. Excitingly, this year’s festival will be the first in Cairns. I was fortunate to be an ‘advance party’ of sorts, getting to know the city, its vibrant arts scene and the surrounding natural landscapes. All this would inform the music I wrote for the festival on my return to the US.

Fresh off the plane, we met with the Mayor of Cairns, Amy Eden. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the city, so the Cairns Regional Council commissioned a work from me celebrating the historic milestone. Mayor Eden highlighted the innovative, resilient and eco-conscious spirit of the city,...