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About

I am inspired by my work and love experimenting and explore with music ideas, developing new compositions that reflect my experience or world around me.

I am a Melbourne based composer, member of the Melbourne Composers League, and a representative artist at Australian Music Centre. I love writing music for small chamber orchestras, trios, art songs, choral works, piano, strings and more.

I am very grateful that my works have been performed in Australia and overseas and inspires my students and my community.

Outside of composition I am a dedicated music educator and currently teaching private piano at school and home studio. I also love accompany on piano the ballet class on regular bases at the Australian ballet studios. When I am not teaching or dreaming of music, you can find me gardening or painting or walking the dog with my partner.

Performances:

  • Chile at the International composers festival ‘Puente’ with Marga Marga string orchestra, artistic director Luis Jose Recart, International music festival in 2020-2026. Commissioned works for piano and string orchestra: ‘Wallum’, ‘The Secret Life of the Reef’, ‘Light Keeper’, ‘Lovestruck’. 'Ikigai', 'Convince me'

  • Monash Symphony Orchestra, Sydney (19th September 2026) 'Bunjil flight'.

  • Regular performances at Melbourne Composers League concerts

Performances in Melbourne, Canberra, Philippines (33rdInternational Asian Composers League in 2015), Hanoi (34th International Asian Composers League in 2016), France (a music festival in the French Pyrenees in 2017, commission for two violins and a piano ‘Terra Solis Australis’ ), Russia (International Music Festival in Kazan, in 2017 and 2019 as well as performances in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2018), New Zealand (Auckland Chamber Orchestra in 2019), Chile at ‘Puente’ International music festival in 2020-2026

Commissioned orchestral compositions ‘The Eagle Flight’ performed by the Dandenong Ranges Orchestra in 2019 and by the National orchestra of Tatarstan in Kazan and was awarded an honourable mention at the Victorian Community Orchestras Competition.

Her monumental piano triptych, ‘The Human Progress’ was premiered at the prestigious gallery 'Mona' in Tasmania by renowned pianist Michael Kieran Harvey in November 2019.

In January 2020, Natalya was invited to a 'Winter School of Music' at Moscow Music Conservatory to further develop her composition, ‘The Secret Life of the Reef’, with Prof. Alexander Tchaikovsky.

My compositions

'Ikigai' reason for being

Ikigai for string orchestra and piano, premiered in Chile in 2025 with 'Marga Marga' string orchestra with Luis Jose Recart

'Love struck

Love struck for string orchestra and piano, premiered in Chile in 2024 with 'Marga Marga' string orchestra with Luis Jose Recart

Light keeper

'Light keeper' for piano (Natalya Vagner) and string orchestra ('Marga Marga' ) with Luis Jose Recard, 2022, Chile.

Wallum

'Wallum' ( indigenous name for tropical part of Australia) for string orchestra , 2020 'Marga Marga' Chile, Luis Jose Recard

Life is a precious gift

'Life is a precious gift' for piano (Natalya Vagner) and violin ( Camilla Camperos) a lament for Ukraine in times of war.

Bunjil - the Eagle flight

'Bunjil' performance by National Symphony Orchestra of Tatarstan, Kazan. 'Bunjil' is indigenous name for wedge tailed eagle, a creator of a land, a story that took place 10.000 years ago when Tasmania was part of a mainland Australia...

Human Progress

'Human Progress' triptych for piano solo, inspired by Yuval Noah 'Sapians' book. Performed by Michael Kieran Harvey, 'Mona' gallery Tasmania

The secret life of Reef

'The secret life of Reef' for 'Marga Marga' string orchestra, dedicated to the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Terra Solis Australis

'Terra Solis Australis' for two violins ( Ala Veronkova, Sara Rojo) and piano Natalya Vagner, Saillagouse, French Pyrenees music festival, 2017

Two Sirens four hands

'Two Sirens' duet for four hands piano. Premiered in April 2025 at Melbourne Composers League concert by Natalya Vagner and Rosa Hwang

Turtle Dreaming

'Turtle dreaming' for flute (Johanna Selleck), Harp (Jacinta Carpenter) piano (Natalya Vagner

Dragonflies

'Dragonflies' for flute (Johanna Selleck), Oboe (Ane Gilby), piano (Natalya Vagner)

'The ride to a crescent moon'-quintet

'The ride to a crescent moon' quintet for Vietnamese traditional instrument Dan Bau, Violin, piano, oboe, cello

'Breath' art song

'Breath' for piano and soprano. Performed by Sian Prior (soprano) and Natalya Vagner (piano). Lyrics by Judith Wright

Contact me

email: natvag@iinet.net.au

contact

email: natvag@iinet.net.au

Education

Natalya Vagner holds a MMus in Composition (University of Melbourne), BMus (Australian Catholic University), and DipEd (University of Melbourne). Originally from Kazakhstan, Natalya moved to Melbourne in 1998. For her MMus, she studied with Stuart Greenbaum and Julian Yu. As a member of the Melbourne Composers League, and Australian Music Centre Natalya dedicates her time to writing music for string orchestra and a piano, also art songs and choral works, small chamber orchestra She teachers piano and composition at her local Middle Park School in Melbourne and accompanies on piano at Australian Ballet rehearsals.