Halfway there: what our 2025 Emerging Performers Fellows have been up to

Kaylie Melville performing 'Scream Star' by Speak Percussion, Arts House, Melbourne, 2022. Image: Bryony Jackson.

Kaylie Melville is a percussionist who works across contemporary classical and experimental music. She is the Co-Artistic Director of two organisations: the chamber music ensemble Rubiks Collective and the innovative sonic group Speak Percussion.

Driven by collaboration, Melville thrives on working with composers, theatre makers, choreographers and artists across various practices to create new, bold and unexpected works. The fellowship has enabled her to dedicate more time and resources to her ensembles, particularly Rubiks Collective.

'Wearing so many hats, it can be a challenge to find the time and support to do this kind of work. The fellowship has felt like a huge vote of confidence in our creative vision and has helped Rubiks to reach new audiences across Australia.'

Melville hopes to reach even more local and global audiences soon, with plans in place to build touring networks. The fellowship has also provided space to refine her craft and invest in long-overdue care for her instruments, including restoring her beloved and well-travelled marimba.

Ultimately, what Melville values most from this fellowship is time. 'After years of racing from one project to the next, it's been a gift to have the space to reflect on our vision for Rubiks: to think clearly about the next steps, and to have the time to actually put them into action.'

As Rubiks Collective celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, the ensemble is already sowing the seeds for its next decade.

Eliza Shephard. Image: Maria Leon Paez Garcia.

Flautist Eliza Shephard's career is rooted in championing Australian flute repertoire. Growing up in regional New South Wales, Shephard is a passionate advocate for community engagement, particularly for young flute players. She regularly travels across Australia to teach, conduct workshops and lead masterclasses.

Shephard is most known for her long-running project March of the Women. Beginning as a project to spotlight the work of female composers, it has evolved into a global online resource featuring nearly 200 works by female composers and involving over 150 collaborators.

Additionally, Shephard has commissioned new works by six leading Australian female composers, producing a touring series of lecture–recitals that she hopes can demystify the commissioning process of contemporary music.

Besides commissioning, Shephard has also been busy composing a new body of work, which she premiered at the 2025 Australian Flute Festival. She has also deepened her work as an animateur, introducing new music to young audiences through solo performances and collaborations with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Monash University.

There’s no slowing down for Shephard, with plans already underway for 2026. She is preparing to record, including an album of works by her father, composer John Shephard. She will also travel to the United States for the National Flute Association Convention, all while developing exciting new programming for the seventh year of March of the Women.

'The fellowship has granted me the time to explore elements of my practice in a deeper, more focused way. Without the need to worry about where the next paycheck is coming from, I have more room to breathe and spend time contemplating creativity.'