The English Mozart

This program, featuring instruments from WAAPA’s historical keyboard collection, offers a series of Australian premieres and, in some cases, world premieres of Wesley’s music.

Known in his day as the English Mozart, child prodigy Samuel Wesley was the leading composer and keyboard player of the late Georgian era. Although almost completely unknown now, Wesley's unique and engaging compositions still have the power to charm and transfix.

In addition to compositions for multiple keyboard instruments and his arrangements of Bach’s organ trios, the program also features music Wesley wrote for his daughter Eliza, including keyboard duets and a series of miniatures taken from Eliza’s unpublished musical autograph album.