The ABC is thrilled to announce that Jael will sing Champion at this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest (JESC). Champion is an uplifting pop-power anthem that delivers an empowering message – that there’s a bold and brave champion inside of us all! Held on Sunday 25th November at the Minsk Arena, Belarus, ABC ME will broadcast all the incredible performances of the 16th JESC competition during a very special family television event on Monday 26th November at 6pm. Hailing from Melbourne Victoria, 12-year-old Jael is the singing superstar chosen to represent Australia at JESC 2018. She began singing and wrote her first song at the age of four, and by the time she was nine she was already recording in her dad’s studio. Interested in a wide range of music genres, including pop, hip-hop, contemporary and gospel music – Jael won the top award at the Fast Track Talent Showcase for three years running, and aims to inspire others through her positive uplifting music and attitude. “I am so happy to be representing Australia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. This is a dream come true for me and something I could never have imagined. I am so excited and can’t wait to represent Australia and make my family and the country proud!” said Jael. Redefining what it means to be a champion, this inspirational song celebrates those who stand up for what they believe in, overcoming adversity, are a great friend, are true to themselves, and have the courage to speak their truth. One of the song’s lyrics ‘shining your light’ is also a nod to this year’s theme – Light Up! The song was composed and written by Michael Paynter, Michael Delorenzis and Grace Laing from MSquared Productions. Jael is represented by ABC Music, and Champion is released worldwide today on all major digital music services. https://abcmusic.lnk.to/Jael ABC ME invited a group of young champions to join Jael in her music video. The music video for Champion was filmed at ABC Southbank and includes Jael and the children celebrating the various ways to be a champion. “This beautifully uplifting anthem conveys an important message to children - you don’t need to win first on a sporting field to be a champion. We can all be champions if we strive to do better and be better in everything we do. This song also enables Jael’s powerhouse voice to shine and we think it will be an instant hit with the ABC ME audience, JESC judges and fans,” said Libbie Doherty, Acting Head of ABC Children’s Television. Director of Blink TV and Australia’s Head of Delegation for Eurovision, Paul Clarke said: “From first listen, we knew this was the perfect song for Jael, it really shows off her emotive soul voice. Jael will make everyone who hears the song in Europe and Australia feel like a champion! Well done to Australian songwriting team MSquared, this song is a ripper and it maintains our strong standard at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.” Natalie Waller, Head of ABC Music and Events, said: “We are thrilled to be working with the extraordinarily talented Jael, and are excited to share her journey through the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. We look forward to watching her flourish as an artist and performer.” Once again Australians will also be able to vote online for their favourite JESC 2018performer including Australia! ABC ME is rallying all Australians to get behind JESC 2018and celebrate not only Jael, but all the young performers competing. Information on how to vote will be available shortly on the ABC ME website. ABC ME, the ABC ME app and ABC iview will broadcast the JESC 2018 on Monday 26th November at 6.00pm.

Kamil Ellis narrator & singer • Ensemble Offspring“The perfect adventure to start your mini musicians on a lifetime of classical music.” – ArtsplorersDiscover how sound can tell stories and create atmosphere in Music for The Dreaming. With new compositions by Indigenous composer, Yuin woman Brenda Gifford, and performed by Ensemble Offspring, Music for The Dreaming is inspired by the seasons and the natural environment around Wreck Bay, NSW south coast.Through Aunty Brenda's music, and the stories and cultural teachings of Budawang Elder from the Yuin Nation Noel Butler, kids will learn about the ‘old ways’ of life and the changing seasons in Yuin Country.Little ones can learn the sounds and meanings of words in the Dhurga language and listen to music which evokes the seasons and landscape of Yuin Country. Children will develop sensory perception, musical literacy and awareness of instrument sounds, perfect for ages 2 – 5.Classic Kids: Music for The Dreaming is an ABC KIDS listen and ABC Classic FM co-production. It was produced in collaboration with composer and Yuin woman Brenda Gifford and Yuin Elder and Educator Noel Butler, and the Sydney Opera House Children’s Families and Creative Learning program.Classic Kids: Music for The Dreaming is the follow-up to Classic Kids: Sounds Like Australia, released in July 2018. TRACKLISTINGEPISODES1 Galaa (Summer)2 Dhagarwara (Winter)3 Gambambara (Spring)4 Dhawara (Moon)5 Gambambarawaraga (Seasons) MUSIC6 Galaa underscore7 Rompy Stompy Crab8 Galaa song9 Dhugawara A underscore10 Dhugawara B song11 Plover Bird12 Gambambara13 Ghadu (Sea) underscore14 Ghadu15 Bardju (Footprints)16 Gambambarawaraga Kamil Ellis narrator and singerEnsemble OffspringClaire Edwardes Director, vibraphone & percussionVéronique Serret violinZubin Kanga pianoLamorna Nightingale flute & alto fluteJason Noble clarinet & bass clarinet

Richard Tognetti • Satu Vänskä • Australian Chamber Orchestra"A wonderful Tatyana, among the best ever” – The Guardian (London)“Her luminous soprano proves ideal for Bizet’s soaring lines”– The Guardian (London)“As Marguerite, soprano Nicole Car was outstanding. Strong across her range, she displayed pealing clarity, excellent dynamic control and a strong sense of line.”– The Australian“You’d be hard pressed anywhere to hear more consistently satisfying singing” – Dallas Morning News“The young singer of the moment”– Limelight Magazine“A voice dripped in rich honey”– Herald SunStunning young Australian soprano Nicole Car is one of the brightest stars in international opera. In September 2018 she will make her debut at New York’s Metropolitan Opera opposite Vittorio Grigolo and Michael Fabiano, and November sees her debut at Bayerische Staatsoper. This follows hard on the heels of a Helpmann Award-winning performance as Violetta in Opera Australia’s production of Verdi’s La traviata earlier in the year. Nicole’s star status was confirmed by the huge success of her debut solo album, The Kiss, which reached #1 on the charts and was nominated for Best Classical Album at the 2016 ARIA Awards.In April 2018, Nicole joined the ACO, one of Australia’s most daring and exciting ensembles, for a series of unique live performances featuring arias sung by some of music’s most iconic female characters – including Mozart’s Dido and Verdi’s Desdemona. The album also showcases the artistry of the orchestra, featuring Mozart’s Symphony No.27 as well as a gorgeous performance of Beethoven’s Romance for Violin and Orchestra No.2 from Satu Vänskä, the ACO’s Principal Violin.Heroines is a brilliant recording of these extraordinary concerts, capturing one of the world’s most beautiful voices blending perfectly with one of the world’s great orchestras.“Here we present Nicole Car, a singer at the top of her game, to portray these heroines: courageous Queen Dido, wrathful Deidamia, the doomed Desdemona. These are characters who face the very depths of human expression – joy and hope, grief and despair – with resilience and strength. Do not underestimate these women; they are resolute in their conviction, and their voices demand to be heard.”– Richard Tognetti TRACKLISTING         HANDEL Overture and Dances from Alcina         Ouverture:1       I.   [Grave] –2             Allegro3        II.  Musette: Un peu lentement4        III.Menuet: Allegro         Dances:5        Gavotte6        Sarabande: Adagio7        Menuet8        Gavotte9        Tamburino10      MOZART Symphony No. 27 in G major: I. Allegro11     MOZART Basta, vincesti ... Ah non lasciarmi, no 12      BEETHOVEN Romance for Violin and Orchestra No. 2          in F major 13     BEETHOVEN Ah! perfido ... Per pietà, non dirmi addio 14     VERDI Ave Maria, plena di grazia from Otello15     PUCCINI Crisantemi (Chrysanthemums) 16      VERDI Act III Prelude from La traviata17      MOZART Misera, dove son! ... Ah! non son io che parlo          MOZART Symphony No. 27 in G major: 18     II.  Andantino grazioso19     III.Presto20     MOZART Chi sà, chi sà, qual sia 21     BEETHOVEN Ma tu tremi, o mio tesoro? Nicole Car soprano (Tracks 11, 13, 14, 17, 20, 21)Satu Vänskä violin (Track 12)Australian Chamber Orchestra Richard Tognetti Artistic Director & Lead Violin

Forty years after the release of one of the greatest Australian debut albums of all time - (I’m) Stranded - Ed Kuepper returns with a brand new band and a brand new contender for the title: The Aints! The Church of Simultaneous Existence. Made up from songs, musical elements and bits and prices that Sir Ed wrote from when he began high school in 1969 and started seriously fantasising about being in a band through to the Saints implosion in 1978 and arranged by The Aints! over 2017-2018, The Church of Simultaneous Existence is an album 40 years in the making. From the glorious slash and burn of Stranded-era track SOS ’75 via the horn-driven Red Aces (the mooted follow up to 1977s classic 7" Know Your Product) to Winters Way, recorded and released originally by the Laughing Clowns for their 1984 swan song LP Ghosts Of An Ideal Wife but written in 1975 and presented here closer to its original form.  ”Things had started to move fairly quickly once The Saints recorded  [I’m] Stranded (Fatal Records) in mid ’76. We recorded three albums over the next two years as well as doing a fair it of touring, and for a while things were looking very promising, however, business problems, compounded by personal and artistic differences meant the band didn’t get around to recording all the material I had lying around….so forty [very] odd years later it occurred to me that these songs might well have made up a hypothetical 4th album….The Church of the Simultaneous Existence…..the songs that refused to die….performed in much the way they would have had the band not split up in 1978" – Ed KuepperTo celebrate this monumental release The Aints! will hit the road for an extensive national tour performing all your new faves from tracks from The Aints! plus a treasure trove of classics from The Saints (’73 -’78). Tickets on-sale Friday August 24th via feelpresents.com The Church of Simultaneous Existence will be released September 21st on vinyl, CD and all digital services. The limited 2CD & vinyl releases will also include a bonus album The Church of Simultaneous Instrumentals.  Watch the EPK here.

This collection is inspired by ABC Classic FM’s 2018 Getaway broadcast, which asked audiences to share the best place in Australia to wake up, and which spurred a flood of responses about the most meaningful, the most exhilarating and the most evocative places in their lives.Where’s your favourite place to wake up? Maybe you yearn for a beachside retreat, with the gulls wheeling and the salt air to greet you. Or the serenity of the bush, in that moment of tranquillity before the heat of the day. Perhaps it’s home, and you’re lucky enough to always wake to your ideal scene.Every morning, ABC Classic FM takes listeners to that favourite place, wherever they are. But it’s not just about escape. Use the music to get you into your day, as well as giving you a moment out of it.This album draws together some of the most sublime music ever written, from old favourites to new discoveries. Often inspired by the natural world, this music isn’t just for those early hours: reach for it whenever you need a dose of pure bliss.TRACKLISTINGCD1 1      EDWARDS Dawn Mantras 2      WESTLAKE Ocean Sunfish 3      GRIEG Morning Moodfrom Peer Gynt 4      SCULTHORPE Morning Songfrom Four Little Pieces for Piano Duet 5      BENJAMIN The Quiet Garden 6      BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6 ‘Pastoral’: First movement 7      RODRIGO Concierto madrigal:VI. Pastoral 8      TCHAIKOVSKY The Lark’s Song 9      TRAD. TORRES STRAIT Morning Tide from Island Songs 10    OSBORNE Late Harvest II 11    MUSSORGSKY Dawn on theMoscow River from Khovanshchina 12    DEBUSSY Piano Trio in G major:III. Andante espressivo 13    COOMAN Sunrisefrom Night Songs 14    EDWARDS Yanada 15    DEBUSSY Prelude to ‘The Afternoon of a Faun’   CD2 1      RAMEAU Naïs: Overture 2      HAYDN Nocturne No. 3: II. Andante 3      RAVEL Pavane of the Sleeping Beautyfrom Mother Goose 4      DOHNÁNYI Ruralia Hungarica:III. Allegro grazioso 5      VIVALDI The Four Seasons: Spring:III. Allegro 6      MAHLER Songs of a Wayfarer:I went out this morning across the field 7      JS BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 4:I. Allegro 8      CPE BACH Trio Sonata in A major:I. Allegretto 9      BRITTEN Dawnfrom Four Sea Interludes from ‘Peter Grimes’ 10    EDWARDS A Flight of Sunbirds:IV. Poco lento 11    VIVALDI Flute Concerto ‘The Goldfinch’:II. Larghetto cantabile 12    GRIMSLEY Rebecca’s Dream 13    GREENBAUM The Rotation of the Earth 14    HANDEL Waft Her, Angels, through the Skies from Jephtha 15    VAUGHAN WILLIAMS The Lark Ascending Artists include: Simon Tedeschi • Roger WoodwardSlava & Leonard Grigoryan • Diana Doherty • Jane RutterGondwana Voices • Ensemble OffspringLondon Philharmonic OrchestraOrchestra of the Antipodes • Australian Brandenburg Orchestraand the Adelaide, Melbourne, Queensland, Sydney, Tasmanian & West Australian Symphony Orchestras 

David Greco and Erin Helyard present the first Australian recording of Schubert’s masterpiece on period instrumentsSchubert’s Winterreise is one of the greatest song cycles ever written. Completed shortly before his death at just 33, Schubert’s masterpiece follows a young man spurned by his beloved who then wanders through a frozen landscape in ever-increasing states of existential angst, terror, and paranoia.Erin Helyard and David Greco present a Winterreise that’s different from any you have heard before. This is how the work might have sounded to Schubert, a recording informed by scholarship around 19th-century performance techniques, and the different vocal traditions and pianos that existed then.But far from a dry, academic exercise, David and Erin strip away the stuffy, canonised aura of this famous work, presenting a Winterreise sung by a young man in the full fervour of love and an all-consuming passion. This is a performancethat captures every moment of Schubert’s terror and mortality, a vital and utterly engrossing performance that takes you inside a work you’ve listened to many times before – but never truly heard.TRACKLISTINGFRANZ SCHUBERT 1797–1828 Winterreise (Winter Journey), D9111 Gute Nacht (Good Night)2 Die Wetterfahne (The Weather Vane)3 Gefror’ne Tränen (Frozen Tears)4 Erstarrung (Frozen)5 Der Lindenbaum (The Linden Tree)6 Wasserflut (Deluge)7 Auf dem Flusse (On the Stream)8 Rückblick (Backward Glance)9 Irrlicht (Will o’ the Wisp)10 Rast (Rest)11 Frühlingstraum (A Dream about Spring)12 Einsamkeit (Loneliness)13 Die Post (The Post)14 Der greise Kopf (The Aged Head)15 Die Krähe (The Crow)16 Letzte Hoffnung (Last Hope)17 Im Dorfe (In the Village)18 Der stürmische Morgen (The Stormy Morning)19 Täuschung (Illusion)20 Der Wegweiser (The Signpost)21 Das Wirtshaus (The Inn)22 Mut! (Courage!)23 Die Nebensonnen (Mock Suns)24 Der Leiermann (The Organ-Grinder) David Greco baritoneErin Helyard piano 1817 Anton Graf piano (replica by Chris Maene, 2016)

Tonightly is a comedy show that smacks and unpacks the latest trends, news, inputs, life hacks and gossip and serves them up for you as a nightly dose of hot, must see entertainment (well it used to). Armed with nothing but jokes and access to sweet memes, Tonightly with Tom Ballard is the show that will literally fix everything that is wrong with the world (except it didn’t really). Ballard is (was) joined by a team of four news addicts who are fully across everything ever (they weren’t): Greta Lee-Jackson (SkitBox), Greg Larsen (Fancy Boy) Bridie Connell (Whose Line Is It Anyway? Australia) and Nina Oyama (Utopia).  Tonightly Albumly features a collection of unforgettable songs from the dearly-missed series, including the ARIA Award winning ‘Sex Pest’, ‘Literally Everything’, and ‘Goodnightly’.

Australian indie rock royalty Custard have today unveiled their first-ever live release, The Band, Live in the Basement. Recorded on a steamy November night in Sydney, the album captures the group tearing through a career-spanning set of hits in front of a packed room at the storied (and now sadly defunct) nightspot, The Basement. Highlights include blistering renditions of signature tunes like ‘Apartment’ and ‘Girls Like That’; a sprawling rendition of dancefloor-filler ‘(I Feel Like) Ringo’; and a cover of the Jonathan Richman classic ‘Since She Started To Ride’.

All of Slava and Leonard’s recordings as a duo, available together for the first time!Guitarists Slava and Leonard Grigoryan are counted amongst the finest musicians of their generation, enthralling audiences with the energy of their performances and the breadth of their repertoire – embracing disparate genres such as classical, jazz and contemporary music from around the world.Slava and Leonard are blessed with an uncanny ability to perform so seamlessly as a duo that they play and ‘breathe’ as one. This sibling collaboration, which commenced in the family home when Leonard was four and Slava 13, has been developing ever since. Growing up and performing together does not guarantee a symbiotic relationship, but what does create the perfect storm is the mutual respect and admiration the brothers have for each other. Perhaps this is the intangible quality that creates their ability to connect with listeners.This box set brings together all eight of their albums recorded as a duo, from 2003’s Play to 2017’s Songs Without Words, and encompasses every element of the artistry of the these extraordinarily talented brothers. Between them, they have received three ARIA awards and an incredible 24 ARIA Award nominations, and have cemented their status as Australia’s favourite guitarists.TRACKLISTINGCD1RODRIGO GUITAR CONCERTOS1-3 RODRIGO Concierto de Aranjuez4-7 RODRIGO Fantasía para un gentilhombre8-17 RODRIGO Concierto madrigal CD2BAROQUE GUITAR CONCERTOS1-3 VIVALDI Concerto in G major for two guitars, RV5324-6 VIVALDI Concerto in A major, RV827-9 VIVALDI Concerto in D major, RV9310-12 HANDEL Concerto in B-flat major for two guitars, HWV29413-17 WEISS Concerto in D minor18-20 FASCH Concerto in D minor CD3IMPRESSIONS1-4 DEBUSSY Suite bergamasque5-8 FALLA Four Spanish Pieces9 MOMPOU Prélude No. 510-23 MOMPOU Variations on a theme of Chopin24 MOMPOU Cançons i danses: No. 725 DEBUSSY Rêverie CD4PLAY1-3 PIAZZOLLA Tango Suite4 E. GRIGORYAN Kolobok5-8 GNATTALI Retratos9 YORK Evening Dance10 E. GRIGORYAN Day Dreams CD5DISTANCE1 BELLINATI Jongo2 L. GRIGORYAN Distance3 TOWNER From a Dream4 LOVELADY Nartuby River5 MUTHSPIEL Everything Happens to That Dog6 WESTLAKE Shards of Jaisalmer7 E. GRIGORYAN Tian Shan8 ALSOP Mandalay to Melbourne9 RIGNEY Prayer Flags in Bright Wind CD6THIS TIME1 L. GRIGORYAN This Time2 TOWNER Duende3 RIGNEY Two Swings in the Heart Shaped Garden4 HOWARD Longplay5-10 WESTLAKE Mosstrooper Peak11 TOWNER Sarabande12 LOVELADY Incantation No. 213 L. GRIGORYAN After Dark14 HOUGHTON Wave Radiance CD7THE SEASONS1-12 TCHAIKOVSKY The Seasons CD8SONGS WITHOUT WORDS1 BACH Arioso, from Cantata BWV1562 DVOŘAK Songs My Mother Taught Me3 FAURÉ Après un rêve4 TCHAIKOVSKY None but the Lonely Heart5 ELGAR Chanson de matin6 TCHAIKOVSKY Chanson triste7-13 FALLA Seven Spanish Folk Songs14 RACHMANINOFF Vocalise15 ELGAR Chanson de nuit16 TCHAIKOVSKY Song Without Words17 PONCE Estrellita (Little Star)

The world’s most popular children’s band The Wiggles have announced their biggest album of the year, Wiggle Pop!  Set for release on August 31, Wiggle Pop! is an entertaining and child-friendly tribute to some of The Wiggles’ favourite Pop, Country and Folk artists from over the years. And it may just be The Wiggles’ catchiest and Wiggliest music collection for many years! With brand new songs written to inspire dancing, singing, story-telling and listening, this album is one for the whole family to enjoy with the young listener! There are nods to Johnny Cash, Madonna, Prince, Nana Mouskouri, Elvis, Tiny Tim, Willie Nelson, The Beatles and many more. Wiggle Pop! features many varied styles of music and reasons to dress up, and even a duet with Australian music star, Dan Sultan. In an exciting year, The Wiggles have soared to new heights. Fresh from a successful tour of the United States and Canada, and with their TV series now broadcast in over 190 countries, the band have also recently announced the ‘Wiggle Pop! Big Show’ Arena tour, which will be hitting stages around Australia later this year. Keep an eye out for a companion Wiggle Pop! DVD to be released in November. Wiggle Pop! … you can’t stop!

Celebrating the 100th birthday of the 20th century’s greatest musician.Leonard Bernstein is one of the towering figures of twentieth-century music. A brilliant and versatile composer, a revolutionary and thought-provoking conductor, and a personable and insightful educator, ‘Lenny’ broke down barriers between genres and brought classical music to the world – and the world to classical music.Released to coincide with his centenary on 25 August 2018, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and conductor Benjamin Northey celebrate the life of this towering talent with an album showcasing his work for Broadway, film and concert stage.Featuring symphonic dances from his ground-breaking musical West Side Story and his score to the legendary Marlon Brando film On The Waterfront, as well as the sizzling overture to his opera Candide and dance episodes from On The Town, this release presents a musical portrait of one of the most important and best-loved musicians of our time.  TRACKLISTINGLEONARD BERNSTEIN 1918–19901. Candide: OvertureOn The Town: Three Dance Episodes2. The Great Lover Displays Himself3. Lonely Town: Pas de deux4. Times Square: 19445. On the Waterfront: SuiteWest Side Story: Symphonic Dances6. Prelude7. Somewhere8. Scherzo9. Mambo10. Cha-Cha11. Cool, Fugue12. Rumble13. Finale West Australian Symphony Orchestra Benjamin Northey conductor Recorded live in the Perth Concert Hall

Beccy Cole, one of Australia’s most successful singer/songwriters, has announced her highly anticipated new album, ‘Lioness’, which is set to be released on August 24th. Her lead single from the album and title track, ‘Lioness’ has been released today.  The South Australian star has been delighting music fans with her unique brand of true entertainment for over 25 years. Beccy’s glowing warmth, husky tones, bawdy sense of humour and hundred-watt smile have helped make her one of the nation’s most loved and celebrated artists.  ‘Lioness’ is Beccy’s 12th album and is nothing short of stunning. The album is a collection of self-penned, personal and poignant songs perfectly displaying Beccy’s strength of character, huge heart and razor-sharp wit. In an Australian first, Beccy procured the talents of some of Australia’s finest female musicians to make the only ever 100% female produced album. ‘Lioness’ is produced by the renowned Julz Parker (known best for her amazing guitar work in award-winning band, Hussy Hicks) making this a Beccy Cole album with a new sound, new band and a new outlook on life beyond forty. The lead single, ‘Lioness’, allows a glimpse into Beccy’s personal life as she explores a world beyond falling in love. In a series of short stories showcasing her wit, Beccy takes the listener on a journey of mishap before returning to a chorus declaring life better with her partner. With a driving kick drum and a powerful electric guitar, this is one worth turning the volume up high.  Beccy says, “Lioness is about the strength and capabilities I have realised since experiencing life with a loving and supportive partner. The stories within the song are 100% true!”