Diapsalmata: Portrait of a Self

A composer bids farewell to her shattered identity and gender dysphoria, through a heartfelt and artistic rendering of her journey to freedom and discovery.

"Diapsalmata: Portrait of self is an outstanding double bill with a sonata and a song cycle that carries on speaking to you long after the talented musicians have cleared the stage”
- Myron My, My Melbourne Arts 2022

Trailblazing performing arts company Forest Collective joins forces with local Geelong composer and pianist Kym Alexandra Dillon and baritone Stephen Marsh, for an afternoon of inspiring and beautiful new music.

Marsh’s expressive and multifaceted baritone gives voice to the restless thoughts and reflections of a 'self' stuck in a mental labyrinth, singing fragments of text from the Danish existential philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. In a cycle of continual self-construction and deconstruction, moving through darkly comic/tragic musings and elusive despair, Portrait of a Self depicts an individual struggling to dig beneath their consciousness, making sense of their condition and becoming ‘real’, while the music itself fluctuates in its stylistic identity.

Dillon’s composition is born from a very specific experience but resonates with a broader story of mental health, selfhood, and unearthing identity in its most foundational sense.

"Even to see oneself in the mirror, one must recognise oneself.
For unless one does that, one does not see oneself, only a human being."
-Søren Kierkegaard

The event will also feature Dillon’s Flute Sonata, performed by soloist Brighid Mantelli, as well as Komorebi by New Zealand composer Salina Fisher.

This project is supported by a Community Grant from the City of Greater Geelong.