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Amanda Handel : Represented Artist

“The Imagination is one of the highest prerogatives … Dreaming gives us the best notion of this power” Charles Darwin

Random Audio Sample: Night fright (duos: didjeridu, piano) by Amanda Handel, from the CD Gardens of stone


Photo of Amanda Handel

Photo: Brigitte Grant Photography April 2022

Amanda Handel is a composer navigating the nexus of contemporary art, and world musics. Her music has been described in reviews as "hauntingly beautiful, creative, cohesive and compositionally advanced", "engaging and evocative … seductive with a Spanish tinge, and a lot of grit".

In 2003 Amanda completed a Masters' degree at the University of Western Sydney. Her thesis Music of Balance: Circles and Squares includes a large portfolio of original scores and acoustic recordings which explore the universal mandala concept as a principle for composition.

Amanda has also studied flamenco in Spain, where she drafted instrumental scores and made field recordings for a CD project. Collaborating with Australian sound designer G.L. Seiler, the album Ghosts and Angels was released in 2006 on the Feral Media label and was a finalist in the Australian Music Prize.

In 2012 Amanda released Gardens of Stone - an album of works for piano and didjeridu, working in collaboration with Michael Jackson. The title work, Gardens of Stone, is also arranged for string orchestra and was premiered by Camerata Ardesko string orchestra (and didjeridu) in Amsterdam in 2010.

Commissioned chamber works include Dry Red, which was premiered at the Darwin International Guitar Festival, and Red, Yellow, Black and White: Music for Reconciliation for two pianos and percussion, commissioned by Ars Musica Australis. The premiere at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre was recorded and broadcast on ABC-FM.

The Sydney Guitar Trio premiered Dances to the Night Sky at the 1999 Darwin International Guitar Festival and included it on their CD. Carolyn Kidd and Virgina Taylor performed Goarounds and Grounds in a concert broadcast live on ABC-FM radio. Also in 1999, The Song Company included Sznuvah Szn on their program for the 'Sagra Musicale di Perugia' international festival in Italy. Many of Handel's works have been recorded by renowned artists and performed at concerts and festivals.

Amanda has considerable background experience in flamenco music and dance. More recently she is leading Canto Latino Quartet as vocalist. The quartet present traditional Argentinean tango and other Latin styles, giving regular concert performances.

As a certified Hypnotherapist, a BodyMinded (Alexander technique), and NLP practitioner, Amanda explores the application of these powerful modalities in her composition, performance and teaching.

Amanda lives in the Blue Mountains of NSW. She is a qualified and accredited piano teacher and has lectured in harmony, analysis and composition at Western Sydney University. Her works are available through Wirrpang Publications.


Amanda Handel — current to June 2022

Selected Commissions

  Work Commission Details
Digital sheet music sample Blue Laze : for solo piano (2021) Commissioned by John Martin.
Without feet they dance : for solo guitar (2003) Commissioned by Paul Nash.
Digital sheet music sample Zapatos de tacon : a tango for guitar quartet (2002) Arranged for the Darwin International Guitar Festival 2002
Dry red : for guitar, violin, cello & percussion (2002) Commissioned by Adrian Walter for performance by Darwin International Guitar Festival.
Zardash (solo piano) (2001) Written for Aaron McMillan at his request for his CD "Arc of Light"
Digital sheet music sample Red, yellow, black & white : Music for reconciliation : for two pianos & double percussion (2000) Commissioned by Ars Musica Australis.