There’s a lot of fuss being made this year about new Australian female composers and naturally, as a woman, I support this hullabaloo. But in this colonial country, dare I ask, are we not in the very bad habit of failing to give full importance to what we already have? I’d like to shine the light on one great lady, one of the foremost Australian composers and pianists of the twentieth century, music educator and poet, Miriam Hyde AO, OBE. Born in Adelaide in 1913, Miriam wrote a wealth of music throughout the 1900’s and I have had the privilege to revive, edit, and record her complete chamber music for flute and piano.

The idea to record the works for flute and piano by Miriam Hyde first came to me in 2011. I wished to honour Miriam’s relatively unknown music so that it could be heard and enjoyed around the world, not just in someone’s AMEB flute exam. These pieces are compositional gems, beautifully crafted with exquisite melodic detail covering all aspects of flute playing. You cannot “hide” behind these Hyde works!

I come from a singing background, and preparing these pieces for recording was like preparing for a lieder recital, with it’s...