Improvising guitarist and composer Julius Schwing celebrates the launch of Forest, his latest album and a deeply personal evolution of his acoustic guitar practice. Born in Vienna and now based on Bruny Island, Lutruwita/Tasmania, Julius has performed across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, India, Japan, Canada and the US. A three-time Freedman Jazz Fellowship nominee, 2022 National Jazz Awards finalist and 2023 APRA/AMCOS Art Music Award state luminary, he is known for his highly individual approach to improvisation and composition.

Notes on the album from Julius:

Tendons become timber and timber becomes timbre. Timbre snaps into harmony, a choir of fibres vibrating and breaking.

This album represents the evolution of my acoustic guitar playing, a sound I have been searching for over the last 4 years. An evolution of my album Wagtail, Forest is a set of improvisations that take these sounds further and towards a more deliberate way. Where Wagtail was the discovery of this way, Forest is the first few steps along it.

In September 2025 I was fortunate enough to be offered an artist residency at the Harrigans Lane property in Wilson’s Downfall, NSW, where I spent a week working on this music alone and without distraction. This opportunity meant I could let time work its magic and allow the music to unfold organically while recording and improvising daily. My process was simple - improvise briefly until a very small fragment or direction would appear, then hit record and improvise a piece with this kernel as a starting point. Rinse and repeat. I recorded 66 pieces this way and chose my favourites.

Melody here is like sun through leaves. Fleeting and filtered. Rhythm is instinctual, felt not counted. Harmony is veiled, yet there to be found. To me this is forest floor music. Music that shines with gentle knowing. A lived experience in constant observation of time and its endless revelations.

Julius has released 12 albums, 10 of which are on his own creative music label Isthmus Music. Julius’s distinct improvising style and compositions are heavily influenced by the dramatic natural surroundings of his home on Bruny Island.

Special guests:

In this concert, Julius is joined for a set by Ben Shannon (Drums) and Erik Griswold (Piano).

Ben is a composer, bandleader and improviser whose distinctive practice spans experimental, contemporary and jazz music. He has collaborated with internationally recognised artists and his work has earned recognition through the Bell Awards, Queensland Music Awards, Art Music Awards and Freedman Jazz Fellowship. In 2026, Ben was awarded the APRA AMCOS Art Music Fund, and he has released more than 20 albums of original and improvised music across a diverse range of ensembles and creative projects.

Erik is no stranger to the Lagavulin audience at the Piano Mill. A Brisbane-based composer and pianist, his adventurous work spans contemporary classical, improvisation and experimental music, with a particular passion for prepared piano, percussion and environmental music. His internationally acclaimed work has been heard at venues including Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House, and he is co-director of Clocked Out, creating innovative music with prepared piano, percussion, found objects and toys.

Please join us for an intimate concert with Julius and guests in the beautiful surrounds of Lagavulin!

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Please note: the concert time is set to Australian Eastern Standard Time. Please check for Daylight Saving Time.

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Harrigans Lane CoLab acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of these lands, dialects of the Western Bundjalung people, including Gidabal (Githabul). We our pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Contact the host of Forest | Album Launch with Julius Schwing (Guitar) & Guests