The short story…

Much as it did over 500 years ago, the lute has maintained a unique ability to capture the attention of audiences with its beautiful sonorities and intimate, unobtrusive character. Whether the lute is heard by ears accustomed to the tramp of hooves and the clink of swordplay or the roar of aeroplanes and the beeps of a smartphone, it has always had the ability to move the soul and provide refuge from the dins of daily life. Casey cherishes his ability to open a window into the past and share long forgotten songs with the audiences of today.

The long story…

Casey studied early music performance practice at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) under the principle tutelage of 19th-century guitar specialist Dr. Jonathan Paget. Alongside historical solo repertoire, Casey studied basso continuo with Professor Stewart Smith (organist) and Professor Geoffrey Lancaster (harpsichordist).

After graduating in 2016 with first class honours and the dux recital mark, Casey relocated to Melbourne and studied with Australia’s pre-eminent solo lutenist, Rosemary Hodgson. In 2022, he became the first person at any Australian University to obtain a performance-based Masters Degree on the Renaissance lute, and in 2023, as the beneficiary of a prestigious scholarship and stipend, Casey commenced a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Melbourne. (As part of his PhD, Casey is recording all seventy of the pieces in the superb ‘Cosens’ lute manuscript, see below.)

Casey tutors historical performance practice, music history, and instrumental music at The University of Melbourne, and is active as a teacher, researcher and performer across the country. He continues to work closely with Lauren Burns (his partner and vocal specialist) and the Early Music band La Compania!

Away from the lute, Casey enjoys cycling, reading, and his two cats.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours - The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Completed 2016)

Research Outputs:

• 50-minute live solo lute recital

• The dissertation: “A Guitarist’s Guide to the Renaissance Lute”

Master of Music with High Distinction (Performance) - The University of Melbourne (Completed 2022)

Research Outputs:

• 70-minute live solo lute recital

• The dissertation: “In Dowland’s own words: Lachrimae and Flow my tears”.

Doctor of Philosophy (Music Performance) - The University of Melbourne [In progress]

This project is focused on MS.ADD.3056 (The Cosens lute book) and comprises a 35 000 word thesis and a complete recorded inventory of the manuscript. The recorded output will amount to a total of 180 minutes of solo lute music.

Expected completion: 2026