About
Founded in 2001, Sunwrae is a presenter, producer, a music chamber group, an independent label and sheet music publisher for the musical works of composer Rae Howell.
The Label
We have a great catalogue of music by the Sunwrae Ensemble, as well as solo recordings of director Rae Howell. Captain Matchbox is the ‘unreleased’ solo tracks of Rae Howell .. alongside Sunwrae’s fifth official release Invisible Wilderness Vol I & II, a double volume record of solo piano works. Previous Sunwrae releases, performed by the Sunwrae Ensemble, include Never Stops to Wait (2005), Eavesdropping: Live at St Stephen’s (2006), Autumn Never Fall (2009), and Live at The Thornbury Theatre (2010). Other collaborative releases include Heavy Forest Air (Kookydisc, 2013), and Rabbitsss’ Penguins (Misty Fjord, 2014). There is another Rabbitsss release on the way this year! Please visit our shop for further details of recordings and the purchasing of these titles.
Excerpts of the Sunwrae Ensemble live at The Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne Australia.
The Sheet Music Publisher
Our sheet music catalogue is growing: Autumn Never Fall, Rainlessness, Faraway Castle, With a Grain of Salt, Mind You Do, The Machine, and Til Jus Now (for Piano Quintet) have been published and now available for sale.. We have a publication of solo piano works, featuring 12 original works by Rae Howell (to accompany Volume I of the new solo albums Invisible Wilderness). All works are available in a printed book format, as well as for digital download as individual pieces (digital downloads are offered with a complimentary mp3 from the corresponding album).
Signup to the mailing list to know about upcoming ventures and releases, or visit the shop for more details..
Please visit the shop to browse the whole catalogue of albums and sheet music!
The Ensemble
The Sunwrae Ensemble features some of the finest musicians from Australia and abroad, hand-picked by director Rae Howell for their expertise in music performance, improvisation and individual style. The unique and flexible line-up includes piano, vibraphone, string quartet, harp, clarinets, alto flute, double bass, drum-set and percussion. Performing ‘little symphonies for the contemporary population’, Sunwrae features a repertoire of solo works to large ensemble arrangements.
Dynamic, engaging and visually stimulating, Sunwrae captivate audiences with hypnotic music textured with persuasive rhythms, improvisation and lush melodic lines. Howell’s compositions are a rare treat, crossing the boundaries of classical, jazz and cinematic music with surprising immediacy and vibrancy rarely experienced in contemporary music today.
Described as “Animated and energetic…” (Music Forum), “Spellbinding” (Music Network) and “Hypnotically beautiful with a flowing cinematic feel…” ( The Age), “Sunwrae is, without question, Australia’s best kept secret… The music paints every style, every influence, in complete, organic harmony.” (The Silent Ballet).
Selected festival appearances include Brisbane Festival, Camden Haven Music Festival, Apollo Bay Festival, Bright Spring Festival, SxSW Festival (Austin TX, USA), Golden Plains Festival (VIC) and I=U Festival (London). Additional appearances include ABC Classic FM’s Sunday Live and ABC TV’s Sunday Arts, the Famous Spiegeltent in Melbourne and the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House in Vietnam. Director Rae Howell now spends her time between Australia, the USA, and the UK.
Photos by Dean Jones