Ken Murray has forged a singular path as a guitarist, blending performance, composition, teaching and research. He has championed early twentieth-century Spanish repertoire, worked extensively with contemporary composers, and performs Brazilian and South American styles. He studied with John Griffiths, Susan Ellis and Michael Christoforidis, holds a Master of Music from the University of Melbourne, and completed a PhD examining the reception of Spanish guitar music in Britain. A committed advocate of new music, he has given premieres of more than 100 works, collaborating with composers including Stephen Goss, Dai Fujikura, Stuart Greenbaum, Katy Abbott and Christopher Sainsbury. A core member of Ensemble Three, his own compositions appear in the AMEB syllabus; “Free Range” was the 2020 Adelaide Guitar Festival competition set piece. His recordings feature on ABC Classics, Move, Tall Poppies, Kairos and Mode. He is now Professor of Music (Guitar) and Head of Guitar at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.
