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PERFECT IMPERFECTIONS: PROJECT DEVELOPMENT WITH JOSHUA BATTY
BY TAHLIA LAMEY
FRIDAY 1 MAY 2026
When I caught up with Joshua Batty in January, he spoke of rawness, darkness, failure, joy, despair, light. These all play a part in the fullness of humanity. This is Perfect Imperfections.
The title of Josh Batty’s new project pays tribute to a poem by his grandfather that explores human fallibility. This authentic perspective on life recurs throughout Josh’s curation in his approach to sound, the commissioning process and his artistic collaborations. With roots in working-class northern England, Josh describes himself as an ‘unfiltered person’, which has informed his interpretation of the flute’s emotional and timbral possibilities. ‘It was actually something Alison [Beare] got me thinking about when I performed Reinecke’s Sonata Undine at UKARIA in 2023. It’s a really heartbreaking, passionate story of betrayal, love and joy, lust and fury, and she kindly communicated to me that she could feel those emotions coming through the instrument in a raw way. It’s something that I’ve always thought about: the artists that speak to me the most – Jacqueline du Pré, Whitney Houston, Adele – are those who are truly raw in their expression. Physically, sound on the flute can be produced without much resistance: it is unfiltered and free – therefore a great vessel to communicate this spectrum.’
Since leaving his position as Principal Flute of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in December 2024, Josh has delved deeper into the meaning behind his vocation, leading him to further push the opportunity and status of the flute as a solo instrument. He says, ‘a huge part of that was trying to expand the scope of the solo flute repertoire in whichever ways I could.’ Josh has set out to commission compositions from Australia, the UK and the USA that resonate with his personal, nuanced, and ‘imperfectly perfect’ humanity. With the flute as his means of expression, Josh is ‘exploring shared human experiences and how we can relate to and accept ourselves as individuals’. He refers to the development of Perfect Imperfections as his ‘debut into this world’ of solo artistry, connecting performance with learning about ‘so many other sides of the art form: meeting and collaborating with other great artists, composers, record labels, philanthropists, agents and publicists.’
Among these collaborators are leading composers Lowell Liebermann, Harry Sdraulig, William Barton, Sir Stephen Hough and Aristea Mellos. The aim is an evolving journey: the composer’s creativity expressed in the score, interpreted by Josh and his chamber music partners, and then reinterpreted by the audience through their own life experience. He has also used this process to heal, to learn from others, and to further challenge his values and what he wishes to say into the future. As Josh explains the commissioning process, ‘I think it’s crucial to let the creators do their job and be fully themselves. So I initially say to them, “this is who I am”, and perhaps send them some recordings that represent my style, sound and tastes. Then it’s over to their vision and creativity. I admire that immensely.’
Aristea Mellos’ elegant piece draws inspiration from Harry Batty’s poem, Perfect Imperfections. ‘My grandfather was just the most inspiring person, as was my grandmother, to whom the poem is dedicated. He was at one of my final concerts in the UK, and that was one of the last times I saw him. We would call each day, sometimes three times a day – he would fill me in on current affairs and ideas, while also being a sort of manager and (welcomed) critic, grounding my sporadic brain.’ Shortly before his grandfather passed away, Josh arranged for his works of poetry to be published. ‘I wanted to immortalise him […] and then I thought this [piece] would be another way, possibly a more universal way, of sharing his legacy.’ To make this even more special, the voice of Joshua’s late grandfather reciting the poetry will open this piece. ‘This poem and piece tie in beautifully with how I feel towards the world – about witnessing, accepting and harbouring our imperfections as part of the full human experience, and creating art from which we unite. It’s a time shaped by social media pressure and increasing perfectionism, so I feel like it’s really important to have artists out there talking to rawness and mistakes and failure and darkness and all of that. Much like many leading artists of today – RAYE, Rosalía, Adele and so on.’
Josh describes this project as the debut of an ‘Australian-led vision’: ‘My hope, especially in this day of social media, is to help Australians feel as connected as possible with other parts of the world artistically. I’ve been sharing performances of new repertoire online, and this album is a way of taking that repertoire physically overseas as well. It’s exciting when flute players are about to play this music and contact me or the composer for the score – it makes me really happy because I want more people to hear the incredible talents within Australian music.’ Yet Josh’s vision for Australia’s classical music industry goes beyond repertoire choices: ‘I really wanted to make the point that we’ve got a unique opportunity here that isn’t necessarily as available in other parts of the world to build on a musical culture. We have a privilege, an onus, and an opportunity here to keep building something distinct. It’s given me so much meaning – and exhaustion!’
Josh’s commitment to this has influenced the choice of artists for his upcoming album and its concept launch at UKARIA, and his words about these artists are imbued with affection and admiration: ‘Chroma Quartet are not only some of my absolute best friends, but they’re an incredibly amazing quartet. You can tell they have so much respect for one another, and that they choose to do this on top of their full-time jobs because they want to. Also, Eliza, the fabulous cellist, is Harry Sdraulig’s sister, so there’s a nice family connection there.
And then, William Barton… I’ve been so inspired by him since moving here. For me, it felt crucial to pay respect and collaborate with the oldest continuing culture in human existence and the incredible art and culture therein. Will’s artistry is deeply connected to place and Country, and I wanted to do something in the spirit of reconciliation, where he takes the freedom to improvise what he feels, and I respond in real time on the alto flute. Every performance will be different – a unique dialogue of respect, where I’m learning from his storytelling, melodic shaping and wisdom. This is a living, evolving work.’
‘I met Konstantin Shamray when we recorded Aristea’s first sonata – we came into a studio together and it just felt like we’d played together for years. He is such a force on the instrument: so colourful, so dynamic. He’s one of my absolute favourite pianists to play with.
I also wanted the recording element to showcase the immense talents and deep-rooted family or friendship connections of everyone involved. Our fantastic sound engineer, Josinaldo Costa, is married to Aristea; our star videographer, Joshua Groom, is the husband of the second violinist Victoria; and my own partner brings the social media and marketing brains. It’s all been very connected – and everyone has been so gracious in donating their time and skills to this project. I am also beyond excited to realise two childhood dreams: recording Sir Stephen Hough’s Nocturne with him on the piano, as well as recording Lowell Liebermann’s long-awaited Second Flute Sonata. His first sonata and concerto are cornerstones of the modern flute repertoire worldwide, so this is truly a dream come true. Finally, Harry Sdraulig’s Cantilena is an extract from his extraordinary first flute concerto, which I will premiere at the Sydney Opera House in 2027. We have been best friends for many years, so this is a very special moment for both of us.’
Summarising his vision and its culmination in Perfect Imperfections, Josh says, ‘it’s a multi-pronged approach: the flute as the vehicle, gratitude for the new repertoire and collaborations, sharing vulnerabilities around my mental health, and connecting with the common global experience of modern life. I thought, let’s go in at the deep end – be vulnerable and talk about who I am and what matters to me with some of the people I love, in the hope it helps others do the same. Exposing my struggles, my learnings, my ambitions, and my respect for what has come before that’s allowed me to do what I’m doing – and hopefully create something unique and beautifully personal.’
The launch of this evolving project will take place at UKARIA on Sunday 12 July. ‘I first played at UKARIA a few years ago with Diana Doherty and Todd Gibson-Cornish, and I loved the energy, the landscape, the people – it felt like an incredible, intimate chamber space. In large concert halls, it can be hard to establish that complete rapport with the audience, whereas at UKARIA I love the way the space wraps around you, structurally and energetically, allowing for a more direct and personal connection. It was deeply moving for me, so I chose it for the launch because I needed a venue that reflected the intimacy and meaning of the album – because it’s not just a concept for me, it’s a life moment, representing who and where I am right now.’