Gillian Wills confronts the “predatory behaviour, lack of funds” in Australia’s classical music industry.
Gillian Wills’ Big Music is her debut novel — but it’s not entirely a work of fiction. It’s a book that confronts the “fascinating, exhilarating, political, privileged” environment that can be found in conservatoriums, which the author has experienced first-hand.
Having graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, Gillian pursued an impressive career in leadership and lecturing positions inside Australia’s biggest educational institutions. She then went on to explore Australia’s classical music industry from an observational perspective — writing and reviewing for publications such as The Australian, ArtsHub, 4MBS, and CutCommon.
So when Gillian writes a novel that navigates everything from the tension between classical and contemporary streams to the pressures a woman may face in a leadership role, she is weaving a story from real-world industry cultures.
We caught up with Gillian to learn more about Big Music, which was released this year through Hawkeye Publishing.