Will Larsen is a multi award winning composer, percussionist, drummer and music producer from Melbourne, Australia. He has played for José Carreras, Mikis Theodorakis, Bryn Terfel, The Bolshoi Ballet, The Kirov Ballet, The New York Ballet, Topol, Andrea Bocelli and k d lang. 
 
He has been a guest artist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia, Orchestra Victoria, The Australian Ballet, and has performed throughout Australia, Europe, the UK and Asia.
 
His work on movie scores include “Hero Mars” by Californian director Skyler Cooper, "At World's End" for Danish director Tomas Villum Jensen, and "Mary and Max" by Academy Award winning director Adam Elliot and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman.  
 
He has won an ARIA for Best Independent Release with The Killjoys. Will and Louise Woodward won Best Score at the Los Angeles Movie Awards for their music on “Juliana’s Story,” a film directed by Angelique Papadelias.  In 2014 his composition "A Festival Fanfare" was used to open Melbourne's White Night Festival.
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Will is half of contemporary classical duo Tess Said So, an ongoing
partnership with renowned pianist Rasa Daukus.  The two won both the Weekly Award and BankSA Award (Overall Outstanding Event) for Best Interactive, Film & Digital at the Adelaide Fringe Festival for their original live soundtrack production and performance to Nosferatu - A Symphony of Horror.
 
Will also writes, produces and performs for Melbourne singer / songwriter, Aylin Eser. Aylin and Will write catchy, melodic indie-pop in the style of Harry Nilsson and given a modern twist.

Tess Said So is the creative partnership between musicians Will Larsen and Rasa Daukus. 

Will is an ARIA award winning percussionist, drummer and composer from Melbourne, Australia. He has worked for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia, Orchestra Victoria, The Australian Ballet, and toured throughout Europe and Asia. He has played for José Carreras, Mikis Theodorakis, Bryn Terfel, The Bolshoi Ballet, The Kirov Ballet, The New York Ballet and k d lang. Will has also worked on several movie scores, including “Hero Mars” by Californian director Skyler Cooper, "At World's End" for Danish director Tomas Villum Jensen, and "Mary and Max" by Academy Award winning director Adam Elliot. In 2012, Will won Best Score at the Los Angeles Movie Awards for his music on “Juliana’s Story,” directed by Angelique Papadelias.

Rasa is a pianist and composer from Canberra, Australia, and is the Director of Music at the University of Canberra. Her current research focuses on multimedia applications of classical music in popular culture, drawing on postgraduate work in visual art, design and music technology. As a pianist she has specialised in contemporary classical ensemble repertoire, and credits her main teachers – Larry Sitsky and John Luxton in Australia, and Jeffrey Jacob in the USA – in helping shape her interpretive direction. Rasa has also worked on the Australian development, production and distribution of various strategic and international record labels including RCA/Ariola, Arista and Deconstruction Records while at BMG Music.


“A voice and talent akin to Nina Simone and Joss Stone joins forces with an ARIA Award winner and internationally acclaimed musician and producer Will Larsen, who has worked with Academy Award winning director Adam Elliot”


The adage ‘don’t run before you can walk’ does not necessarily apply to singer and songwriter Aylin Eser. According to her mother, she was singing rhymes long before she managed to string a coherent sentence together. “From a very early age music has always been what makes me happy,” she reveals.

Of course, becoming a singer, performer or any form of artist is not exactly an easy accomplishment, particularly with the advent of digital music and the ease of tools available on-line. Idol is an option, likewise is good old fashioned hard work, all combined with a bit of luck. “I was led to believe that becoming a singer was just a dream so I studied more ‘realistic’ fields like business and interior design.” Although Eser had a regular income, she was not fulfilled with her employment at an architecture firm. Yet it was at the architecture firm where her vision for building a singing career took off, literally. “I met my producer (Will Larsen) at the firm and he encouraged me to chase my dream of becoming a singer. So I did,” she tells.

Her admiration for ARIA award winning Larsen is clear. Larsen, who is an award-winning drummer, percussionist, composer and producer, has previously worked for Academy Award winning director Adam Elliot, World Expo Shanghai and for the New York City Ballet. Although the similarities between Larsen’s work in ballet and Eser’s more pop-focused approach may appear slight, Eser’s quick to set things straight. “Will and I have a spooky understanding of each other. We work well together. Will understands that I sometimes meditate over a track, just to get an understanding and feel for the music,” she tells.

Eser’s already gained traction with media bigwigs, with some outlets comparing her vocals and song composition to Nina Simone, Sade and Ella Fitzgerald - singers with a reputation for singing from the heart. “It’s funny how I’ve been compared to those singers as they inspired me to get into music. I also like Joss Stone, Adele and Norah Jones as they are genuine singers who wear their heart on their sleeve,” she says.

Eser’s lyrical poetry is as fascinating as it is meaningful. Her lyrics display a sense of warmth, crystallised with an underlying yielding of wisdom and love. “Love’s a common theme throughout my songs,” she reveals. “I enjoy exploring love and what it means in today’s language. It could be the love between two people or the love within humanity. The key theme or emotion that I want people to get from my songs is to feel inspired and happy. Music is such a powerful tool that it can unite or divide very easily,” she explains.

Trace music’s genesis to being united or divided. In the swinging ‘60s you were either for The Beatles or for The Stones. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s you were either a new romantic or punk. Competition, banter and bragging rights have been around since the early days. Not much has changed, or has it? “I want to unite people by focusing on what we have in common and being as raw and truthful about my experience of love as I can,” she tells.

Love is a constant theme when Eser engages in dialogue. It’s not that she’s a love prophet or that she attempts to play cupid, it’s more that she views matters of the heart differently. She explains, “I believe that the heart knows and finds what it ultimately seeks. I always follow my heart and make the correct choice. (My heart) leads me from one amazing experience to the next. For that I am forever grateful.”

It’s been a busy year for Eser as she continues her musical crusade. “My current goals are simply to sing, sing and sing some more,” she laughs.

“I’m having the time of my life at the moment and just want to keep going. Music is such a huge part of my life that I wake up every morning with a purpose that gives me drive and energy. If I can make one person feel better after listening

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