ARTISTIC RATIONALE
Australian music practices are at the forefront of creative risk, always working in experimental and innovative ways to create music that is bold, new, and exciting. At the forefront of this is Danielle O'Keefe, a renowned musician, conductor, and arts leader. Her achievements and expertise are recognised internationally, and her participation as Musical Director in Chasing the Wind represents an exciting opportunity for Australian musicianship to take its place on the world stage.
DANIELLE O'KEEFE
Danielle O’Keefe is an internationally renowned composer, conductor, community and youth arts leader, and artistic entrepreneur. She has an extensive national history of success as a conductor, composer, and the artistic leader of The House That Dan Built. Her international career has been defined by collaborations, performances, and commissions that have solidified her reputation as a pioneer in contemporary music and experimental vocal performance.
After finishing her conducting studies in 2003 in London, Danielle returned to Sydney to conduct the Australian Youth Choir (AYC) and held that post until 2012 when she left to adventure the great Australian Outback as the Artistic Director of Outback Theatre for Young People. She has worked with highly renowned musicians and music organisations, including The Sydney Chamber Opera (SCO), Fraught Outfit, Sally Whitwell, Felicity Wilcox, Damien Ricketson, and has performed work at The Opera House, NSW Parliament House, Carriageworks, and Dark Mofo.
Her unique approach to musical creation and community engagement has led to the creation of large scale, artistically excellent musical works, engaging deeply with young people, female musicians, and communities across Australia. She is driven by experimentation, play, and artistic excellence, utilising her musical and artistic expertise to raise up the next generation of female creatives.
As a solo musician and conductor, Danielle has worked extensively across the UK, Europe, and the USA, maintaining deep artistic networks. In 2024, she was invited to collaborate and musically direct a multinational theatre-music project, working with young artists from across Europe to create a new work using her rapid collaborative composing techniques. This experience reinforced the international demand for her expertise and laid the foundation for Chasing the Wind.
PAST WORKS
100 WOMEN, 100 STORIES
100 Women, 100 Stories is a unique community song cycle, composed by 6 Australian women and led and conducted by Danielle. The project gathers 100 Women from local communities in a rapid process of song learning and performance, creating a challenging, community building experience for musical communities. Conceived by Danielle, the project is a testament to her ability to lead musical projects and workshops, creating large-scale, artistically excellent works in innovative and playful ways.
BAGATELLE
A collaborative composition project led by Danielle, BAGATELLE saw renowned Australian composer Sally Whitwell work with The House Ensemble to create a series of compositions based on experiences of Covid.
Young musicians were mentored to write their own music, and these songs were performed in a one-off performance before the 2021 lockdowns.
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SALT360
​SALT 360 is an immersive film installation, based on music from SALT, a collaboratively composed and devised immersive choral show directed by Danielle.
First written in 2018, SALT 360 comprises beautiful, haunting images, and is designed for immersive screenings, with hybrid performance elements.
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TENDER YOUNG CREATURES
An immersive choral work, collaboratively composed by a group of teenage musicians under the direction of Danielle. First created in 2015, a chorus of teenage girls devised songs, exploring how it feels to walk alone at night. Tender Young Creatures has gone on to performances at Carriageworks, Bondi Pavilion, and the Blake Prize, and is in talks for touring in 2026.
Tender Young Creatures is a testament to Danielle's skills in leading collaborative composition processes, leading even inexperienced musicians in creating complex, musically excellent works.