Classically-trained from the age of two, Melbourne-born London-based musician Meg Morley was awarded Distinctions by the Australian Music Examinations Board for its Associate and Licentiate diplomas in piano before completing a Master of Music in classical performance and a Postgraduate Certificate in composition at age twenty three. During her studies she was fortunate to have performed as a soloist with the, then, Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra and to have had her first ensemble composition performed by the internationally-acclaimed Darling Downs Trio.
Meg studied jazz improvisation at the Victorian College of the Arts while she was a pianist with the Australian Ballet before moving to London, in 2010, where she has worked with various international dance companies (Matthew Bourne, Pina Bausch, English National Ballet, Rambert Company, Alvin Ailey ADT). As a composer for dance she has collaborated with various amateur and professional choreographers for live performances, including a highlight, in 2019, of working with members of the award-winning musical group Kefaya and contemporary dance company International Arts Collective for an inspiring ensemble production called FREE.
Since performing her first improvised score for silent film in 2016, Meg has regularly played at various international film festivals (Il Cinema Ritrovato, Netherlands Silent Film Festival, Le Giornate del Cinema Muto) and has recorded original scores for several DVD releases (including Hitchcock's The Ring for US company Kino Lorber). She is a house pianist for the British Film Institute (at Southbank) which commissioned her, in 2018, to compose, perform and tour a score for the Meg Morley Trio to accompany several silent films starring Mabel Normand. Birmingham's Flatpack Festival also commissioned her for a collaborative score with Derbyshire's electronic band Haiku Salut for the 1930 German experimental silent film People on Sunday, which was also performed at The Barbican, London.
Meg was deemed an Exceptional Talent by Arts Council England in 2018, after releasing two debut recordings: the solo piano EP, Through the Hours, and the Meg Morley Trio album, Can't Get Started, with Richard Sadler (double bass) and Emiliano Caroselli (drums). Both releases received four-star reviews from various publications, including International Piano magazine and All About Jazz with the latter stating that “Sadler and Caroselli give her music an added depth, making this group one of the most exciting on the current UK scene”. In 2022 the trio released a second album, Journey Through Home, with great acclaim and with a successful launch at London’s 606 Club.