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The music of Kym Alexandra Dillon (b. 1989) embodies an emphasis on direct expression, extended harmony, gestural approaches to rhythm, the blurred line between concert music and theatre, and a heart for speaking equally to audiences both inside and outside of the art music world. Dillon counts amongst her most significant influences the work of György Kurtág, Witold Lutosławski, Franz Liszt, and J.S. Bach.

She has received commissions from ensembles and organisations such as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Musica Viva, Astra Chamber Music Society, Australian Youth Orchestra, Homophonic, and Forest Collective, and has also long been a long-time artistic contributor to the musical life of her hometown of Geelong, having received multiple commissions from the City of Greater Geelong and composing for local community orchestras, chamber groups and youth ensembles.

She completed her undergraduate studies in composition at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2012, studying under Anthony Lyons, Mark Pollard, Christine McCombe, Kevin March, John McCaughey, and Carl Vine. During her studies she was the recipient of the Beleura Sir George Tallis award and the Athenaeum Prize in 2009, and the Beleura John Tallis award in 2010. She completed her Masters in Composition at the University of Melbourne in 2023 under the mentorship of Elliott Gyger and Melody Eötvös, and was the recipient of the specially-created 'Completion Scholarship' during this time.

Thematically her work often reflects upon the nature of creativity, the art of empathy, the stream of the subconscious, and the beauty of subjectivity. Representative examples of her work include the Sonata for Flute and Piano (2021), which explores artistic self-reflection through the musical depiction of three flowers, and Diapsalmata: Portrait of a Self (2022), a long-form song cycle wherein a personal story of identity and selfhood is woven using settings of texts by Søren Kierkegaard.

Dillon's passion for sharing her love of art music with audiences has led to her regularly delivering pre-concert talks for the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria, and featuring as a guest presenter for ABC Classic.

She is also highly active as a pianist, having performed and recorded several of her own works and featuring regularly in classical, contemporary and jazz contexts. She also has worked for over a decade as a conductor of community choirs in Melbourne and Geelong which have a particular focus on social inclusion.

Kym Alexandra Dillon — current to August 2023