There has been no thematic study of Australian classical music since Roger Covell's ""Australia's Music: Themes of a New Society"", published 40 years ago. This book will be of interest to both secondary and tertiary music students, as well as the general public interested in the topic. The author is an Australian composer with a national and international profile. He is highly respected across the spectrum of the world of new music. He has also had many years experience in music journalism as a critic, op-ed writer and book reviewer. The book includes a CD sampler of eleven tracks, giving a range of examples of recent work showing Australian music's variety, and also introduces some lesser-known works and composers. This book offers an approachable and evocative introduction to classical music composed in Australia in recent decades. With a balance of historical background and detailed description, composer and music journalist Gordon Kerry explores a number of themes - landscape and spirituality, the influence of Europe and Asia - that bring together the exciting variety of new works and voices working in Australian music now.