Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) is delighted to announce improvising multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer and educator SOLUNE (Selene Messinis) to preside as the 2025 Take Note program leader.
SOLUNE is one of Melbourne’s most sought-after musicians, recognised for her versatility and strength of sound. As a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts with a major in Jazz Piano, she honed her fluid and sophisticated performance style under the mentorship of legendary pianist Joe Chindamo. Her instrumental project, Mad Vantage, a progressive metal/nu-jazz quartet, earned the MWIJF Recording Prize (2021) and has cemented her as a powerful force, unapologetically bursting into the heavy scene with the use of synthesisers, distortion and electronic sounds. Recently announced as this year’s recipient of APRA AMCOS’ Professional Development Award in the Jazz & Improvised Music genre, 2025 marks an exciting year of artistic and professional growth for SOLUNE.
“I am beyond thrilled to be selected as this year’s Take Note Leader!,” said SOLUNE. “It means so much to be seen and supported in my entrance into the scene as a solo artist, and I look forward to developing a career strategy for my unique brand of music with some of our industry’s finest mentors.”
“This year marks a journey of self-discovery for me, both as an artist and as a woman entering a new chapter of life. I’m grateful for the opportunity to discover and learn about the scales and modes of my Greek heritage, which will inspire and shape the creation of a body of work set to premiere at MIJF 2025”.
Currently in its seventh consecutive year, Take Note is a program that tackles the underrepresentation of women and gender-diverse musicians in jazz, fostering leadership and visibility through performances and education programs across Victoria.
SOLUNE’s extensive career includes composing and touring with Circus Oz and working with a diverse range of acclaimed artists, such as Parvyn, thndo, NO ZU, Gordon Koang and NIKODIMOS. Her performances span major festivals and institutions, including Arts Centre Melbourne, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, WOMADelaide, RISING, Strawberry Fields Festival, Nine Lives and Mona Foma. She also leads her own other projects, including the pop-house electronic duo LEFKADA and the improvised hip-hop/nu-jazz duo Hey Guise.
“For six years, Melbourne International Jazz Festival has supported incredible artists through the Take Note program – and we’re delighted to announce SOLUNE as our seventh Take Note Jazz Leader,” says CEO and Program Director of Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Hadley Agrez. “A truly innovative artist with an enormous breadth of experience in the industry, I can’t wait to see SOLUNE inspire the next generation of jazz through school workshops, take bold new steps in her career, and bring her ambitious artistic vision to life at our 2025 festival in October.”
About Take Note
Women and gender-diverse musicians often face barriers to pursuing creative careers and leadership roles in jazz, due to societal expectations, gender biases in instrument selection and a lack of visible role models. Take Note was launched in 2019 to support emerging artists, advocate for diversity as well as deliver a range of educational activities and workshops.
Each year, the Take Note leader receives a cash bursary and professional development support while premiering a newly commissioned work at MIJF. In 2024, improvising flutist, composer and producer Erica Tucceri served as the sixth Take Note leader.
As the 2025 Take Note leader, SOLUNE will receive a $7,000 cash bursary to develop a new composition, which will premiere at the 2025 Melbourne International Jazz Festival. She will also embark on a Victorian high school tour, leading improvisation workshops across regional and metropolitan schools to inspire the next generation of Australian jazz musicians.
Find out more about the Take Note program here.
The Take Note initiative is supported by The Harry Kestin Foundation, The Robert Salzer Foundation, The Angior Family Foundation, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (University of Melbourne), Monash University and ABC Jazz.
Melbourne International Jazz Festival wishes to acknowledge the generous support provided by the late Harry Kestin, who was instrumental in conceiving this program in 2019 and beyond.
