Cyrus Meurant (b. 1982) studied composition and violin at the Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney with teachers including Anne Boyd, Ross Edwards, Matthew Hindson and Richard Meale. He won both the Frank Albert Prize for Music and the Sarah Theresa Makinson Prize for Composition then later studied at the Conservatoire de Paris with Frédéric Durieux on a Churchill Fellowship as well as at the Royal Academy of Music, London and the and the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag.
A prolific composer and performer – principally for theatre and dance – Cyrus has composed for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Martyn Brabbins), The Australian Ballet (conducted by Nicolette Fraillon), The Omega Ensemble, Ensemble Signal (conducted by Brad Lubman), NIDA, Orchestra Victoria (conducted by Richard Mills), ACO Collective (directed by Pekka Kuusisto), the Dance Makers Collective and the Momentum Ensemble (conducted by Ariel Zuckermann).
Since 2012, Cyrus has composed a series of dance scores for choreographer Brett Morgan – Artistic Director of the National College of Dance (Australia). Featuring a small amplified ensemble of strings, winds and percussion, directed by Cyrus, these works include: The Spartans, KLASH, Wild Life, and the evening length works: Fusion and As time goes by. Other works have been performed at the Theatre Basel, Switzerland, and The Place, London with choreography by Corey Baker.
In 2015 the EP Seul was released by US label Secrets of Giza with Cyrus performing his solo works for synthesizer and electric violin. In 2016 the album Monday to Friday was released featuring a 20-movement chamber work especially commissioned for installation in Beaumont Care Homes in Brisbane. The work received national coverage in Australia for its contribution towards a growing body of research surrounding the use of music in dementia treatment and in 2019 was nominated for ‘Innovation of the Year – Dementia Solution’ at the Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards held in Singapore.
As an arranger Cyrus has worked for Anne Sofie von Otter, Terry Riley and Kamran Ince. In 2015 his arrangements of traditional Ottoman music were performed by Taryn Fiebig and Richard Tognetti in the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Helpmann Award winning Reflections on Gallipoli, directed by Neil Armfield (*Best Symphony Orchestra Concert 2015).
Recent works include a Concertino for David Rowden and the Omega Ensemble which premiered at the Sydney Opera House in 2017, as well as performances with pianist Sally Whitwell, flautist Sally Walker and oboist Ben Opie.
In 2018, the new dance work Malý Princ (based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince) premiered at the Divadlo F.X. Šaldy in the Czech Republic to critical acclaim, with Cyrus as solo violinist and choreography by Margaux Thomas and direction by Macbeth Kaněra. The show has continued throughout 2019.
Cyrus has also recently composed, Vessel, for Pekka Kuusisto and the Australian Chamber Orchestra Collective, whilst the new opera Herakleitos premiered at the Laeiszhalle, Hamburg with the Kreuzberger Kamerata featuring Birger Radde, Samantha Britt and Ziad Nehme, conducted by Rebecca Lang.
