Luke Di Somma Releases Debut Album SONGS FOR MY FRIENDS

Melbourne based New Zealand composer/lyricist Luke Di Somma has released his debut album - SONGS FOR MY FRIENDS.

SONGS FOR MY FRIENDS is a collection of ten stand-alone musical theatre/cabaret songs written over the last ten years. Di Somma has assembled a superb cast of New Zealand artists to record the album, including Laura Bunting (Muriel's Wedding, Calamity Jane), Akina Edmonds (Hamilton, Beautiful), Joel Granger (Pippin, Cry-Baby), Andrew Coshan (View From A Bridge, Merrily We Roll Along) and Hayden Tee (Cinderella, Les Miserables).

Di Somma's album also features Broadway veteran, and 'honorary Kiwi' Andréa Burns (Songs For A New World, In The Heights). Full album credits are on the second page.

Di Somma studied at the prestigious Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Programme at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University on a Fulbright Scholarship, and is acknowledged as one of New Zealand's leading musical theatre writers. He is also co-writer of hit New Zealand musical That Bloody Woman - the first NZ show to be licensed by Music Theatre International.

He moved to Melbourne in 2018, where he lectures at Federation University of Australia, and has also taught at the Victorian College of the Arts, Patrick Studios Australia and Associated Studios Australia. He is currently working on a commission for New Zealand Opera and has several Australian projects in the pipeline.

"I am thrilled to have SONGS FOR MY FRIENDS out there in the world now. I am so excited to have had such an extraordinary cast of singing actors bring my songs to life. I am also proud to be showcasing some of the best New Zealand talent in the world, as most of the artists on the album are Kiwis who have worked here in Australia."