The Road not Taken continues Muses Trio’s ten-year pathway of exclusively showcasing music by women, performed by Muses Principal Artists Therese Milanovic (piano) and Christa Powell (violin), and guest artist, Alison Smith O’Connell (cello). This EP offers three wildly varied world premiere studio recordings. The EP opens with two new commissioned works by Brisbane-based Frankie Dyson Reilly and Isabella Gerometta, supported by The Creative Sparks Fund, a partnership between the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council to support local arts and culture in Brisbane. The third track is the first studio recording of French artist Camille Pépin’s trio, The Road Not Taken.

The Road Not Taken conveys musical motives of journeying, whether evoking a distant scene, or the innovative processes undertaken by each of the three composers. Pépin’s work contrasts and layers soaring lyricism with rhythmic and repetitive themes, at times reminiscent of long-distance train travel. Gerometta’s creation is unlike any other piano trio, celebrating the Final Call Girl, or last girl alive in horror films, with the acoustic instrument lines interspersed with memorable samples from iconic horror films since the 1960’s. Lastly, Dyson Reilly’s trio, Metamorphosis, is an exploration of the relationship of colour staining the musical score and the expressive interpretation:

“Each colour could be warm, cool, bright, dull, vivid, murky, light, dark or hollow; and might be reminiscent of the green of a fresh leaf, the blue of the sky, or the colours of a butterfly’s wings. How might these qualities be embodied in sound?” 

- Dyson Reilly

The EP’s concept was informed by these layered themes, as well as the imagery of the title track. The Road Not Taken can also imply forging new directions, such as the Muses’ ten year history as the only ensemble in Australia to focus entirely upon the compositions and performances of women.