Photo Courtesy of MYO
Melbourne Youth Orchestra perform Forest Bathing
NEW Version for String Orchestra and Percussion
Originally composed for string orchestra, Australian Conductor Brett Kelly and the Melbourne Youth Orchestra will perform Beaugeais’ Forest Bathing for string orchestra AND percussion!
Katia is very excited to see/hear the premiere of this new version, which she has specifically recomposed for MYO’s End of Year Showcase Concert.
And Katia will be at the concert!
ABOUT Forest Bathing
Katia writes:
Forest Bathing (2025) is inspired by the Japanese practice Shinrin-yoku: a process of therapeutic relaxation by immersing oneself in the natural environment of a forest to improve mental clarity, health, self-reflection and mindfulness in a natural way.
My piece creates a musical space where we can stop, switch off, breathe and slow down. Forest nature-inspired sounds and melodies help reduce stress and enhance overall well-being: sunlight flickering through the trees, branches swaying, leaves rustling, birds tweeting and soft gusts of wind.
730pm – Sunday 16 November 2025
Melbourne Youth Orchestra’s Flagship Orchestra
https://www.melbournerecital.com.au/whats-on/series/myo-imagine
🎥 WATCH MYO About Forest Bathing Concert with Conductor Brett Kelly:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1476480156745106
Venue:
Melbourne Recital Centre
Elisabeth Murdoch Hall
Southbank, Melbourne.
ABOUT Conductor Brett Kelly:
https://qso.com.au/about/artists/brett-kelly
MORE INFO + Official Program Note – String orchestra version:
Commissioned by Steel City Strings, 3 premiere performances by SCS took place in September 2025:
https://www.newmusicblock.com/event/katia-beaugeais-string-orchestra-no-2-steel-city-strings-world-premiere/
NEW Concert Program Note for Strings & Percussion (free to use for concert programs)
Forest Bathing (2025) was originally composed for string ensemble and commissioned by Steel City Strings for their world premiere performances in their 2025 September concert series. Then, Australian conductor Brett Kelly expressed interest in programming Forest Bathing for one of his upcoming orchestra concerts.
The suggestion of adding percussion arose…needless to say that by the end of our conversation, I had already worked out which percussion instruments and type of sounds I was going to create!
The Melbourne Youth Orchestra and conductor Brett Kelly will premiere Forest Bathing for string orchestra and percussion at the Melbourne Recital Hall on 16 November 2025.
Forest Bathing is inspired by the Japanese practice Shinrin-yoku: a process of therapeutic relaxation by immersing oneself in the natural environment of a forest to improve mental clarity, health, self-reflection and mindfulness in a natural way.
Forest Bathing creates a musical space where we can stop, switch off, breathe and slow down. Forest nature-inspired sounds and melodies help reduce stress and enhance overall well-being: sunlight flickering through the trees, branches swaying, leaves rustling, birds tweeting and soft gusts of wind.
Opening with a soothing viola cadenza, bird and wind sound effects are heard alongside seagull glissando sounds and delicate pizzicato in the double bass.
The strings then enter one by one with soothing dream-like meditative melodic lines, shimmering harmonics, singing bird-like melodies and molto espressivo chorale-like chordal harmonies. Forest Bathing concludes with the upper strings tenderly playing the main melody as their sound gently floats away in the distance.
Percussion instruments have been specifically chosen for their bell-like and glistening sounds in blending in with the unique timbre of the strings with percussive colour effects which create atmospheric collage soundscapes.
Forest Bathing is now available in both versions.
© October 2025 – Program Note by Katia Beaugeais
SHEET MUSIC is currently being prepared for publication.
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