Brenda Gifford
Brenda Gifford is a composer and proud Yuin woman whose culture is the basis of her arts practice. Brenda has been commissioned by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, by Canberra International Music Festival for her work Gambambarawaraga (‘seasons’ in Dhurgha language) and the Four Winds Festival. Mungala/Clouds commissioned for American star flautist Claire Chase premiered at National Sawdust New York in 2019. She is First Nations Resident Composer with Ensemble Offspring in 2020 as well as undertaking a Master of Music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music as part of the Composing Women program. Her ARIA nominated album Music for the Dreaming, a work tailored for children exploring Dreamtime stories, received multiple performances at the Sydney Opera House in 2019, co-presented by Ensemble Offspring, ABC KIDS Listen and ABC Classics. She has toured extensively as a jazz saxophonist as a member of the reggae band Mixed Relations with Bart Willoughby.