Moorambilla Voices marked its 21st anniversary this year with the release of its fifth album, Warrambul Riversong: Skysong last week.

Inspired by the Warrambul/Wurrumboorrool (the great river of stars known as the Milky Way), the album released on April 6 is a luminous and deeply moving expression of connection to sky, to land, to culture and to one another.

Recorded in collaboration with the Sydney Opera House, the album stands as a nationally significant cultural work celebrating First Nations’ language, knowledge and storytelling.

It affirms that creativity from regional Australia belongs at the centre of the nation’s cultural life and represents 21 years of Moorambilla’s musical excellence, cultural leadership and profound impact.

The recording features 42 young performers from across a third of regional and remote NSW, and includes eight tracks by Australian composers with six newly commissioned works and a powerful composition by acclaimed Barkindji singer-songwriter Nancy Bates.

The young people involved proudly represent the communities of Baradine, Cobar, Collarenebri, Coonabarabran, Coonamble, Dubbo, Eumungerie, Gilgandra, Glen Innes, Hanging Rock, Kootingal, Narromine, Peak Hill, Tamworth, Tottenham, Trangie and Wongarbon.

They are joined by a chamber orchestra of leading independent musicians, including artists from the Australian Chamber Orchestra and two musicians from the Australian Youth Orchestra who first worked with Moorambilla as associate artists during the 2025 Gala Performance, marking the beginning of an exciting and ongoing artistic collaboration.

The compositions on the album emerge not simply as works, but as living expressions shaped through deep Artistic and Cultural Immersion. Created in collaboration with Elders and Cultural Knowledge Holders, each piece reflects a powerful exchange of knowledge, story and connection, bringing together earth and sky through music.

Moorambilla Voices’ artistic director Michelle Leonard OAM said: “These remarkable young musicians and seasoned professionals offer something profoundly beautiful.

“You can hear the generosity of spirit, the deep connection to Country, and the shared joy in every note and phrase on this recording.”

One of regional NSW’s most enduring and dynamic professional arts organisations, Moorambilla Voices has enabled more than 300 young people aged 8 to 18 years to come together annually to co-create, perform and record new multi-disciplinary works inspired by and celebrating the land, stories and First Nations cultures of regional NSW in collaboration with leading artists, building confidence, connection and a strong sense of belonging.

“Through the sharing of culture and the embrace of creativity, Moorambilla Voices continues to open pathways for young people across regional and remote Australia,” Michelle concluded.