Aksuna (Natasha Lin) is an award-winning
Australian pianist-composer currently residing in Germany
Photo courtesy of Leandro Olgiati
I’m an Australian pianist and composer, and my relationship with music has evolved from a childhood rooted in discipline and classical training into a deeply personal exploration of storytelling, emotion, and human connection.
I began playing piano at the age of four. From seven years old, I began training professionally for hours each day alongside school, weekend eisteddfodds, and annual graded examinations. By ten, I had given my first recital, and at seventeen I became a finalist in the New South Wales Concerto Competition. In my twenties, I was also a finalist in the prestigious National Australian Piano Award.
Music, however, was never the only part of my world. A brief foray into dental studies revealed my curious and pragmatic side before the pull of music brought me back. I went on to receive a full scholarship to the Melbourne Conservatorium, where I completed a double degree in Performance and Criminology, followed by a Masters in Music as a receipient of the Australian Postgraduate Award, and another Masters in Music Therapy.
Interview with Matt Dowling, ABC FM in Australia. 2014
It was through my work as a music therapist in palliative care that my relationship with music began to change. Sitting with people at some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, I experienced firsthand the quiet and sometimes extraordinary power of music to connect, comfort, and express what words cannot. Music gradually became less about achievement and more about curiosity, creativity, and discovering something honest.
That shift became the foundation of my work as a composer.
Today, I create original music that sits somewhere between storytelling, philosophical reflection, and classical virtuosity. My work has been heard across Australian radio, including Classic FM, 2MBS, and 3MBS, with performances and premieres extending from Australia, Europe and The United States. I released my first album in 2019 and, in 2022, received second prize in the Australian National Composition Award. In 2024, my solo piano work Love Child was selected for OPIA’s inaugural compilation under Universal Music, and I was one of five composers selected for the Boston-based FUSE: Collaborations in Song.
My growing body of work includes two original solo piano albums, an EP, three short film scores: including one shortlisted at Flickerfest, as well as commissioned works for a range of ensembles and projects. In 2025, I was selected as one of the fellows of Classical:NEXT in Berlin, where I appeared as a panelist and delegate representing Australia.
While I have gradually moved away from performing the classical repertoire, the influence of the great composers remains at the heart of my music. I continue to draw on the depth, nuance, and physicality of the piano, creating pieces that are immersive, intimate, and often difficult to put into words.
I’m an Associated Artist at the Australian Music Centre.