In a massive move for Melbourne's jazz scene, multi-instrumentalist and composer Solune has been announced as Melbourne International Jazz Festival's 2025 Take Note program leader.
The appointment marks a significant milestone for Solune (Selene Messinis), one of Melbourne’s most in-demand musicians. Known for her boundary-pushing approach to jazz, she’s carved out a reputation for merging traditional elements with progressive metal and electronic sounds. A Victorian College of the Arts graduate majoring in Jazz Piano, she developed her distinctive style under the guidance of renowned pianist Joe Chindamo.
Her innovative metal/nu-jazz quartet Mad Vantage has already made waves, securing the MWIJF Recording Prize in 2021. Adding to her accolades, she’s just been named this year’s recipient of APRA AMCOS’ Professional Development Award in the Jazz & Improvised Music category.
Melbourne International Jazz Festival
- Melbourne International Jazz Festival returns 17-26 October 2025
- The 2025 MIJF program will be announced in August this year.
- For more information about MIJF, visit www.melbournejazz.com/
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On her appointment, Solune expressed her enthusiasm: “I am beyond thrilled to be selected as this year’s Take Note Leader! It means so much to be seen and supported in my entrance into the scene as a solo artist, and I look forward to developing a career strategy for my unique brand of music with some of our industry’s finest mentors.”
She added: “This year marks a journey of self-discovery for me, both as an artist and as a woman entering a new chapter of life. I’m grateful for the opportunity to discover and learn about the scales and modes of my Greek heritage, which will inspire and shape the creation of a body of work set to premiere at MIJF 2025”.
The musician’s versatility extends beyond jazz, with an impressive track record of collaborations including Circus Oz, Parvyn, thndo, NO ZU, Gordon Koang and NIKODIMOS. She also heads up the pop-house electronic duo LEFKADA and improvised hip-hop/nu-jazz duo Hey Guise.
Melbourne International Jazz Festival CEO and Program Director Hadley Agrez shared his excitement about the appointment: “For six years, Melbourne International Jazz Festival has supported incredible artists through the Take Note program – and we’re delighted to announce SOLUNE as our seventh Take Note Jazz Leader. A truly innovative artist with an enormous breadth of experience in the industry, I can’t wait to see SOLUNE inspire the next generation of jazz through school workshops, take bold new steps in her career, and bring her ambitious artistic vision to life at our 2025 festival in October.”
The Take Note program, now in its seventh year, tackles the persistent underrepresentation of women and gender-diverse musicians in jazz. The initiative provides crucial support through performances and education programs across Victoria, addressing barriers including societal expectations, gender biases in instrument selection, and a lack of visible role models.
As part of her role, Solune will receive a $7,000 cash bursary to develop a new composition premiering at the 2025 festival. She’ll also lead improvisation workshops across regional and metropolitan Victorian high schools, fostering the next wave of Australian jazz talent.
The program continues its strong legacy, following 2024’s Take Note leader, improvising flutist, composer and producer Erica Tucceri. It maintains support from The Harry Kestin Foundation, The Robert Salzer Foundation, The Angior Family Foundation, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (University of Melbourne), Monash University and ABC Jazz.
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