​

Lisa Cheney (born 1987) is an Australian composer. Cheney writes music for orchestra, chamber, voice, acousmatic collaborations and works for stage. Her music reflects an interest in the 'edge of beauty’; whether it be through a human-like fragility, poeticism or variations in resonant space, timbral transitions, pacing or light and dark sound worlds. Cheney's work has been described as 'atmospheres of unfathomable spaciousness' (Partial Durations), 'melodic slivers with plaintive intensity' (The Australian) and 'fantastic and frightening in its detail and colour' (Resonate). Cheney has received several accolade and awards, including the APRA AMCOS Art Music Fund, Dorian Le Gallienne Award and was a finalist for Instrumental Work of the Year at the 2018 Art Music Awards for her cello work ‘When We Speak’. Her music has been commissioned and performed by The Southern Cross Soloists, The Australian Voices, Plexus, Syzygy, Sydney Antiphony, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Ballet amongst others. She is also a co-founder of Making Waves. Cheney holds degrees from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, where she studied with Gerard Brophy and Dr. Gerardo Dirie respectively. Her research into the early career experiences of female composers in Australia was supervised by Dr. Brydie-Leigh Bartleet. She is currently completing a PhD in Music at The University of Melbourne, supervised by Dr. Elliott Gyger and Dr. Katy Abbott.