Australian composer Lyle Chan has led a rich and diverse life, working as virologist and activist during the HIV-AIDS epidemic as well as a 10 year stint as Artists & Repertoire Manager for ABC Classics, creating over 200 recordings.

All of this and his widespread upbringing – childhood in Malaysia, adolescence and coming out as gay in the US, and half his life in Australia – plays into his music. “My musical sketches are a diary first, and the completed music the memoir,” he says in the liner notes.

He talks of his compositions as “perpetual works in progress” – hence one string quartet, one orchestral work, one musical drama and this lovely addition, Solo Piano, to his “Untitled” catalogue. Its open-form pieces started 42 years ago when he was 17 and, in its entirety, lasts for three hours. Each performance, therefore, including this one by his friend Brisbane pianist Alex Raineri, is different.   

John Cage has been a big influence on him and this is evident in the short fragments,