Kats Chernin, Elena: Eliza Aria performed by Alexa Still and Evan Hines

Eliza Aria from ballet Wild Swans (2009) Elena Kats-Chernin (b.1957) Elena Kats-Chernin, born in Tashkent, now the capital of independent Uzbekistan (was part of Soviet Russia), studied composition and piano in Moscow as a young child. She migrated to Australia in 1975, continuing her studies in Sydney and then in Germany. She returned to Australia in 1994, but continues to have an international presence through her works being performed around the world. Eliza Aria is taken from her ballet Wild Swans, based on The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen. It tells the tale of Eliza, a princess whose wicked-witch stepmother has changed Eliza's eleven brothers into swans. Eliza must knit magic shirts from stinging nettles in order to break the spell and transform her brothers back into human form. Wild Swans was commissioned by the Australian Royal Ballet. Eliza Aria gained tremendous popularity world-wide after being chosen for 2007 television advertisements for Lloyds Bank (London). Elena Kats Chernin was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia in 2019 "for distinguished service to the performing arts, particularly to music, as an orchestral, operatic and chamber music composer”. Kats-Chernin's music is published by Boosey and Hawkes Music Publishers. This particular piece in this format is available from the Australian Music Center (under license) email: [email protected], website: australianmusiccenter.com.au/product/id/20835