When Sally Whitwell’s ARIA Award-winning recording Mad Rush achieved critical and popular success in 2011, “no one was more surprised than me,” recalled the composer and pianist. Prior to the recording of the acclaimed solo release with ABC Classics, Whitwell’s familiarity with the music of Philip Glass did not extend beyond his opera and dance music.

Since that time, however, she has become a foremost interpreter of his solo piano music. Indeed, in 2013, Glass invited her to perform the world premiere of his Etude No 18 at the Perth International Arts Festival. The Glass Piano Etudes reflect the development of the composer over the past three decades but leave room for a great deal of interpretation from the performer. Hence, when Whitwell performed privately for Glass before the Perth premiere, he told her “Let’s see what you bring to this.”

While...