Uncovering Connie Converse: A Voice the World Almost Missed

In a quiet apartment in 1950s New York, a woman named Connie Converse was writing songs no one was quite ready for—frank, poetic, and deeply personal. Long before the era of confessional singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell or Bob Dylan, Connie was crafting music that offered a startling window into the soul. But after years of rejection and silence, she packed her belongings into a Volkswagen and disappeared. Her music—like her name—was nearly forgotten.

This May, Finding Connie brings her songs to Australian audiences for the very first time. Presented by Mirabilis Collective, the concert is a tribute to a woman whose work was too early, too honest—and too extraordinary to remain hidden.

Who Was Connie Converse?

Born Elizabeth Eaton Converse in 1924, Connie was a gifted student, a self-taught musician, and a quietly radical thinker. In the early 1950s, she recorded home demos of original songs that blended classical nuance with folk simplicity, philosophical lyricism, and startling emotional honesty. Her music defied the conventions of her time.

Uninterested in pursuing fame and unsupported by the male-dominated industry around her, she eventually stepped away from songwriting altogether. In 1974, shortly after turning 50, Connie wrote a series of farewell letters to her family and friends, drove off, and was never seen again.

Her story was largely unknown until a 2004 WNYC radio broadcast shared some of her music. That moment sparked a wave of discovery, culminating in the publication of To Anyone Who Ever Asks by Howard Fishman—a richly researched and empathetic portrait of Connie’s life, music, and mysterious disappearance.

Connie Converse in Ann Arbor 1959

A Lost Genius Rediscovered

Connie Converse’s music is quiet and unassuming—but under the surface, it's fierce in its clarity and emotional depth. She writes of longing, disconnection, inner complexity, and the ache of being unseen. Her harmonic palette—often borrowing from art song and classical form—sets her apart from her folk contemporaries, while her lyrics cut close to the bone.

Her work resonates deeply with listeners today—particularly with women, queer artists, and others who have felt outside dominant narratives. She composed not for commercial success but as an act of expression, of trying to be understood.

In her absence, she has become something of a mythic figure: a reminder of how easily important voices can be missed—and how vital it is that we keep listening.

Connie Converse composing at the piano in her New York apartment in 1958.

A Collective Tribute: Finding Connie

Finding Connie is the result of a rich collaboration between Mirabilis Collective and the University of Western Australia’s Conservatorium of Music. Third-year composition students were invited to create original chamber arrangements of Converse’s songs, reimagining her music through a fresh contemporary lens. These new works form the centre of the program.

The concert also features a multigenerational ensemble of women musicians, performing alongside exceptional UWA student performers. Together, we’re weaving Connie’s voice into a new musical conversation—one that stretches across time, generations, and experience.

We extend our warm thanks to James Ledger, Head of Composition at UWA, for his generous support and for facilitating this special opportunity for the students.

This performance forms part of our 2025 Unveiled concert series, dedicated to amplifying women’s voices through chamber music, storytelling, and creative collaboration.

Connie Converse performing in New York in 1958.

Why Connie’s Music Matters Today
Connie Converse’s music captures something timeless: the ache of disconnection in a crowded world. Her song One by One becomes a haunting metaphor for modern isolation—“we can hear each other pass / but we’re far apart, in the dark.” Writing in the 1950s, she was already diagnosing a spiritual malaise we’re still grappling with: lives filled with noise, yet void of deep connection.

In an era when community was shifting—urbanisation rising, families dispersing—Converse wrote music that reflected both the alienation of her time and the yearning to break through it. Today, as we scroll through curated lives, swipe through connections, and increasingly live behind screens, her songs still resonate deeply.

Bringing Finding Connie to the stage is about more than reviving her lost music. It’s about giving voice to the unheard, making space for stories that were once dismissed or overlooked. It reminds us that history is full of women like Connie—brilliant, ahead of their time, and worthy of being seen and heard.

Connie Converse in her West 88th Street Apartment 1959

Join Us

Finding Connie
Sunday 4 May, 5pm
Callaway Music Auditorium, UWA
Buy tickets here

Be part of the Australian premiere of Connie Converse’s music—reimagined for chamber ensemble in a powerful collaboration between Mirabilis Collective and emerging composers and performers from the UWA Conservatorium of Music.

Experience a concert that gives voice to the unheard, honours a lost genius, and invites you to listen more deeply.

Want to explore more?
Howard Fishman’s acclaimed biography To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse is available here—read by the author and featuring excerpts of Converse’s music.
Shortlisted for the Plutarch Award for Best Biography.

To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse by Howard Fishman.

Sisters in Sync: 3-2-1 with Sharon Grigoryan

3 Questions - 2 Insights - 1 unique photo with remarkable women musicians

We shine a light on the extraordinary cellist Sharon Grigoryan in this month's Sisters in Sync. Sharon's passion for chamber music is evident in her remarkable seven-year tenure as the cellist with the Australian String Quartet, and her ongoing collaboration with her husband, the acclaimed guitarist Slava Grigoryan. Their duo performances are a testament to the deep connection they share, both personally and musically, resulting in profoundly moving experiences.

In our upcoming concert, Luminous, we will be performing Grounded for Cello and Guitar by Australian composer Anne Cawrse, a piece composed in 2021 specifically for Sharon and Slava Grigoryan. Grounded is a celebration of finding solace and joy in simplicity during the challenging times of COVID-19 lockdowns. Its lightness of spirit and infectious joy capture the essence of rediscovering ourselves and the things we cherish most.

Sharon shares her insights, inspirations, and valuable lessons learned throughout her formidable career. Get ready to be inspired by her story!

Who is a female musician that has been a source of inspiration in your musical journey?

Wilma Smith, violinist. She was the concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra whilst I was a university student in Melbourne, and whilst I was a young casual player (and then permanent) player of the MSO. I always admired how she handled all situations with a smile on her face, no matter what was thrown at her from all directions. She was also always so supportive of the students in Melbourne, coming to so many of our concerts, and giving so many masterclasses. She treated everyone around her with equal respect and warmth, from fellow Principal players in the orchestra to young freelancers and students. She was a real ambassador for music in Melbourne. She also had a young family at the time - so she was a busy woman, but had time for everyone.

What's one piece of advice from a woman in music that has stuck with you?

Just be who you are, and that’s enough.

What moment in your career made you feel most empowered as a woman in the music industry?

Leaving my job with the Australian String Quartet. It felt like the majority of our audience base assumed that it was because I was a mother that I needed to leave my job. I enjoyed explaining that this wasn’t solely the case, and that there were many reasons, like wanting to explore other avenues in music, having more variety in what I play, as well as spending more time with my family. Many were surprised to hear that I was leaving to explore other avenues of work, to take risks, despite the fact that I was a mother. It felt wonderful to take matters into my own hands and have full control over my life after a wonderful but extremely demanding period with the quartet. Since then, it’s been wonderful to be able to balance my work and motherhood in a way that is happy and healthy for my family.

What's a valuable lesson you've learned throughout your career?

You can’t change other people, you can only change yourself. 

What advice would you give to young women aspiring to build a career in music?

What some people see as female passiveness is actually our great strength. We may not argue a point until we’re blue in the face, we may indeed sacrifice what we really want in order to keep the peace with a colleague who just “must” have it their way. We may “lose” an argument, because we are actually full of self-doubt in that moment and questioning if we really are right or wrong. This self-questioning, this willingness to sacrifice what we want in order to keep the peace, is, what I’ve realised, our greatest strength. “Being right” isn’t strong. Being flexible is. Women, in general, are great diplomats and listeners.