YOLO Solos with Alice Morgan and Ronan Apcar
Description
Program
Andrew Howes Lyrebird Concerto for sax and piano (2026)
Andrew Ball Raiju (2026)
Luciano Berio Sequenza IV for piano (1965-66)
Ryo Noda Phoenix for solo sax (1983)
Gerard Brophy Abraco for solo piano (2000)
Listening Guide
You only live once in this program of musical thrills from saxophonist Alice Morgan and pianist Ronan Apcar. Leading off with two new Australian works for the Hayes audience, their program is a celebration of the music of our time. Alice has been lauded for her vibrant artistry described as “sublime, full of colour and life” and Ronan is known for a “fearless technique and musicality,"
Lineup
Alice Morgan
Described as “sublime, full of colour and life” (Stuart Greenbaum), Alice is known for championing Australian music, having premiered and recorded works by leading composers including Holly Harrison, Paul Stanhope, Stuart Greenbaum, Elizabeth Jigalin, Alice Chance, Damien Ricketson, Kirsten Milenko, Katia Geha, and Andrew Howes. Since her nomination for the renowned Freedman Fellowship, Alice has become a prominent voice in the Australian music scene. She performs extensively across Australia, frequently appearing with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as Guest Principal Saxophone. Alice appeared as concerto soloist internationally with the Resonance Ensemble in Tony Ryan’s Concerto for soprano saxophone and orchestra in Christchurch, New Zealand, and locally with Ensemble Apex in Ibert’s Concertino da Camera. Alice has a particular affinity for chamber music. She was named Ensemble Offspring’s Hatched Associate Artist in 2024, and is a regular collaborator with the Bowerbird Collective. As a chamber musician she has appeared in concerts across Australia, including the world premiere of Andrew Howes’ The Eyes of the Earth for saxophone and string quartet at the Lyrebird Festival. In 2025, Alice performed on King Island for the Moonbird Festival with the Bowerbird Collective and accordion virtuoso James Crabb. Alongside her performing career Alice is a keen educator, having presented masterclasses at both the Melbourne Conservatorium of Musicand Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and in 2026 presented a program of works and masterclasses at the Aotearoa Classical Saxophone Summer School at the University of Auckland. Alice is a tutor at the NSW Department of Education Arts Unit, and has been a private saxophone tutor for over a decade. Alice is also an experienced producer and orchestral manager as one of the founding members of Ensemble Apex. She has been a loyal part of the production team for many of their successful concerts since the group’s formation, ranging from RUEL x Red Bull Symphonic at the Sydney Town Hall to Verdi’s Requiem at Judith Neilson’s award-winning gallery, Dangrove.
Ronan Apcar
Ronan Apcar is a pianist, musician, and composer with a reputation of versatility, edge, and tenacity. His love for music across many styles – jazz to the avant-garde, contemporary art music to house music – translates into his open-minded, exciting, and unique work as a musician. Described as "a talent beyond his age" (Limelight Magazine) and “a force to be reckoned with” (ClassikON), Ronan is known for his diverse musicmaking practice that includes performing, composing, arranging, improvising, curating, and collaborating. Ronan performs in an eclectic mix of concerts and festivals in both intimate and large-scale venues across metropolitan and regional NSW, Victoria, and the ACT. In addition to the full range of the piano, his practice has grown to include electronics and other instruments in experimental, improvised, and collaborative settings both musical and interdisciplinary. Various recent projects range from concerto soloist with Ensemble Apex to a multimedia DJ set for the opening of Machine Hall; collaborative performances in festivals including Sydney Festival, Canberra International Music Festival, Shepparton Festival; with organisations such as Moorambilla Voices, Luminescence Chamber Singers, Gondwana Voices, Opera in the Country; at venues ranging from rural Victorian town halls to the National Gallery of Victoria and the Sydney Opera House; residencies at Bundanon and The Old School, Mt Wilson; commissions from the Australian National Academy of Music and the National Carillon; audiovisual works with photographer Peter Hislop and videographer Agatha Yim (PolyPhonic Pictures); and forthcoming records include a solo electronic improvised EP, concerto recordings with Ensemble Apex, and the debut release for the group improvised project Tsiran. Ronan appears as both soloist and collaborator in grassroots musical series playing experimental, electronic, and improvised music. Ronan is also the pianist with Ensemble Offspring.
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