Selene Messinis

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Tunes by Selene Messinis

  • Moods of the Sun
    Straight · 2010-2020 · Medium · Instrumental · Compound
  • Ode to Troy
    Straight · 2010-2020 · Hard · Instrumental · 7/4
  • Reflexology
    Straight · 2010-2020 · Medium · Instrumental · 4/4
  • Seasoar
    Straight · 2010-2020 · Medium · Instrumental · Db · 5/4
  • Simmering Sauce of Thyme
    Other · 2010-2020 · Medium · Instrumental · 4/4
  • Matriarch
    Fusion · 2020-2030 · Hard · Instrumental · B · 5/4

Biography

BIO:

Selene Messinis is a Melbourne/Naarm-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, improviser, composer and educator, who is known for her versatility and strength of sound. She also works under the moniker SOLUNE, to write and release music.

Majoring in jazz piano, her studies at the Victorian College of the Arts (under the wing of piano icon Joe Chindamo) helped honed the fluid and sophisticated sound Selene has today. She now works full time as an active performing solo artist, session musician and collaborator with a number of different highly-respected acts: Australian-Punjabi artist Parvyn, Rnb soulstress thndo, Melbourne cult institution NO ZU, South Sudanese ‘King of Music’ Gordon Koang and rnb/gospel/hip hop boy genius Nikodimos. Her collaborations also include Teether, Bumpy, Eliza Hull, Don Glori, Wild Gloriosa, Harper Bloom, Emma Volard and MOZË.Selene spent 2 years composing for and touring with acclaimed performance company, Circus Oz. Touring across every inch of Australia, she also presented workshops in remote Indigenous and disadvantaged communities. 

She has also performed for projects with the Arts Centre, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, WOMADelaide, RISING, Strawberry Fields Festival, Nine Lives and Mona Foma.

Having been classically trained and initially inspired by quintessential ECM jazz records at a young age, her first collaborative project was innovative contemporary jazz trio ISM, which released their debut album, 'This Canvas', in 2016.

Nowadays, her compositional style fuses fiery rhythmic patterns, minimalist melodies and lush harmonic soundscapes to create a sound that is decidedly her own. This is particularly exemplified in her instrumental project Mad Vantage, which fuses prog-metal, nu-jazz and electronics. She has carefully curated a unique sound incorporating synthesisers, distortion, double kicks and sampled electronics. Described as intricate and unapologetic, Selene’s compositions draw comparisons to Animals as Leaders, Plini and Tigran Hamasyan; and also feature in the prestigious Australian Jazz Real Book. Selene and Mad Vantage have already been awarded an APRA Professional Development Award (2025), named Melbourne International Jazz Festival ‘Take Note’ Leader (2025), MWIJF Recording Prize (2021), celebrated in The Age, Heavy Blog Is Heavy, Dingo Jazz Journal, Beat Magazine; and supported heavyweights Anika Nilles (RUSH), Brekky Boy, Grievous Bodily Calm and Your Girl Pho. Mad Vantage released their debut album, ‘MINUTIAE.,’ in 2025 on Art As Catharsis Records, which debuted on the ARIA (jazz/blues) charts at #4.

Selene also has 14 years of experience as an educator, building her private teaching business, working in schools and mentoring/facilitating educational workshops with aspiring youth musicians in bands. For the last 2 years she has held the position of Program Manager of not-for-profit charity YoWo Music; a youth music organisation aimed at empowering and inspiring female and gender-diverse youth; promoting gender equity for the next generation of Australian musicians.

References