2015 Artists
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Ad Hoc Music Collective Ad Hoc Music Collective was founded in 2004 by Andrea and Helen Mountfort (Cosmo Cosmolino, My friend the Chocolate Cake, Fine Blue Thread) to enable their own compositions to be performed and to experiment in the creative process in music composition. Andrea continues to direct the Ad Hoc Music Collective that has developed into a body of musicians, composers and educators dedicated to performing and teaching original, new and improvised music. |
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Adam Simmons Adam is a sought after woodwind multi-instrumentalist, well known for creating the Adam Simmons Toy Band, and currently performing with Nick Tsiavos Ensemble, BOLT Ensemble, The Pearly Shells, JIVIR, Shakuhachi Melbourne and Origami and has worked with major artists such as Ernest Ranglin, Nigel Kennedy, Peter Brotzmann, Michael Kieran Harvey, Odean Pope, Tony Gould, Spiderbait, Australian Art Orchestra, Kutcha Edwards and Gotye. In 2014 he received commissions for Museum Victoria’s Quiddity Project, as well as M.A.D.E’s Eureka 160 celebrations. Coming up in November 2015 he will be performing 100 duets at Conduit Arts. |
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Afrolankan Drumming Sri Lankan percussionists Ray Pereira and Kanchana Karunaratna have used their wealth of experience and knowledge of both African and Sri Lankan rhythms and dance to come up with a new style of drumming. A style that draws its influences from both traditions. Ray Pereira is recognized as one of Australia’s leading percussionists while Kanchana is a master drummer in the Sri Lankan tradition.This concert will feature the virtuosity of these two musicians on a variety of African and Sri Lankan drums. www.afrolankandrumming.com |
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Afrovival Experience the heart and soul of Botswana with the 4 string oil can guitar with Afrovival. Between untold stories of the Kalahari desert, hypnotic melodies of the kalimba and Congolese guitar, Afrovival submerges the listener with dizzy tunes that echoe villages and streets of Africa. Combined with an original and contemporary play on musical ideas, Afrovival welcomes audience’s toes to tap or head to nod to a groove-toned beat. Soon to support Mafikizolo and Oliver Mtukudzi on their Australian tours. |
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Amie Brûlée Amie Brûlée sings French songs, old jazz and other tunes that take her fancy. She plays piano, ukulele and a bit of trumpet and has a penchant for telling stories. Her musical adventures and influences range from classical to jazz, cabaret to blues, flamenco to funk (just to name a few), and she loves nothing more than finding a new way to interpret and old song. http://amiebrulee.com.au/ |
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Amy Tsilemanis Amy is a versatile artist who creates and produces cross-artform projects and collaborations. From radio and multimedia to site-specific theatre and local history trails, her work engages audiences in new experiences and modes of storytelling. She heads Weave Length Productions and Tinderbox Radio, and is a member of the newly formed collaboration Friskis Fillis creating an audio work for Uncommon Places II at the 2015 Melbourne Fringe Festival. Her audio and visual works have been exhibited and broadcast around Australia. |
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BOLT Ensemble The BOLT Ensemble is a chamber orchestra dedicated to the presentation of projects artistically directed by James Hullick. Founded in 2004, BOLT has worked extensively with technology and on community development projects in Australia and abroad. Recent major productions that BOLT has performed in include: These Compulsive Behaviours (10 chamber orchestra and orchestra works, Melbourne Festival 2014); The NIS (in partnership with the Footscray Community Arts Centre’s Amplified Elephants, touring UK and Japan 2014); and The Sonic Flock (for the Melbourne Festival 2013). |
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Brian Ritchie Brian Ritchie is well known as acoustic bass guitarist for American folk-punk band Violent Femmes. He is also Music Curator at MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) in Tasmania. In addition Brian is a licensed teacher of shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute). In this context he performed at Festival of Slow Music 2014. |
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Bryn Hills Bryn is currently teaching low brass and VET music performance at Ballarat High School. His performance work at the moment includes; Vonda Bouys and the Falsettos (60s pop), Los Locos (quirky Latin) and the Ballarat Ska Union (1st wave ska) as well as a variety of freelance projects |
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BUK (Ballarat Ukulele Kollective) Ballarat’s very own Ukulele Band. Straight from VM’s Shed to a gig near you. BUK rehearse, gig and build ukuleles together, have performed at festivals from the shores of Apollo Bay to the back blocks of Castlemaine, hosted workshops and supported ukulele bands from around the world like The Nukes, Rose Turtle Ertler, Black Orchid Stringband (Ukuleles for West Papua) and our own Melbourne based Theo and Flora Carbo as The Blues Brothers. Recently appearing at The Ballarat Apron Festival they will present something quite different at this years FOSM. |
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Caerwen Martin Caerwen is highly regarded for her versatile and innovative approach to the cello. From USA to Europe and in Australia, Caerwen is in great demand for her commitment and musical passion. She has worked with musicians as diverse as The John Butler Trio, Chamber Made Opera, the Australian Pops Orchestra, Missy Higgins, Elena Kats-Chernin, Lou Bennett – and once jammed till dawn with violinist Nigel Kennedy! Caerwen is a founding member of Silo String Quartet, a performer and board member of Arko Strings and a composer in her own right. |
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Chen Shuhua Chen Shuhua, Pianist, Vice Dean of the College of Arts, Xiamen University.He was admitted by Piano Department, Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing in 1996. After he graduated from the college, he coached in it for three years. Then he went abroad to Freiburg University of Music (Musik Hochschule Freiburg),in Germany, he got the Piano Artist Degree successfully in 2003. After that time, he studied musicology in University Freiburg, and served as assistant of Professor A. Immer from University of Music, Freiburg. Professor Chen came back to China in 2006, and taught in the College of Arts, Xiamen University until now. He gave performances in island and overseas, including America, Canada, Japan, Britain, Greece, Thailand, Korea, etc. In addition, he took the role of the judges of many international and domestic competitions. |
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Deborah Kayser One of Australia’s most adventurous sopranos, Deborah Kayser’s music practices span the centuries from Ancient Chant, the Baroque, to Contemporary explorations on and off the stave. As a long term member of Elision, Kayser has been at the cutting edge of New Music performance both nationally and internationally, as well as with companies such as Chamber Made Opera, Aphids, and Not Yet It’s Difficult. Kayser is also a long-time collaborator with Nick Tsiavos. They have toured all over the world, recorded critically acclaimed cds and are regularly broadcast over the radio. |
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Domenico de Clario Domenico was born in Trieste in 1947 and migrated to Australia in 1956. He taught art at RMIT (1973-1996), was Head of Contemporary Arts at ECU in Perth (2001-2006), Head of Fine Arts at Monash University (2006-2009) and Director of Adelaide’s Australian Experimental Art Foundation from 2009-2012. Since 1966 de Clario has exhibited and performed globally and has published numerous books and six CDs of his improvised durational piano performances. His work is represented in major public and private galleries worldwide. |
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Elissa Goodrich Elissa’s works have featured internationally across Europe, alongside her international collaborations with visual artist Gabby O’Connor, & with filmmaker Michael Carmody. Her co-led world-jazz Shannon-Goodrich Ensemble received 2 nominations for 2009 Australian Jazz Work of the Year. This year, Elissa’s works feature at Sonorities International Contemporary Music Festival (IRE), Tempo Reale’s Sound Identities, (Italy), her work D2D D-Evolving with Michael exhibited at International Traverse Video-Art Festival, (France) and she is composer & sound artist for Bagryana Popov’s Uncle Vanya in Avoca, Castlemaine State Festival. www.cdbaby.com/cd/statesofplay |
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Fine Blue Thread Fine Blue Thread is an exciting collaboration of three creative musicians from very different worlds: Helen Mountfort (‘cello, My Friend the Chocolate Cake, Cosmo Cosmolino), Ria Soemardjo (voice and viola) and Sam Evans (multiple tabla and percussion). This distinctly Melbourne trio plays finely crafted, fresh and intriguing compositions that are grounded in the traditions of Indian, Javanese and Western classical music. Fine Blue Threads latest album ‘Blueprint’ is available now through. |
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Gamelan DanAnda Led by Melbourne percussionist Jeremy Dullard, Gamelan DanAnda is an organisation devoted to exploring the fascinating music of Bali. The cooperative nature of this artform caters for players of all experience levels, having evolved to strengthening Balinese community. A range of Gamelan ensemble styles are presented by GDA, including processional cymbals & drums, bamboo xylophones & flutes, and the 30 piece bronze ‘Kebyar’ orchestra. Anyone can learn to play the rhythms of traditional Balinese Gamelan music and all are welcome to join. www.gamelan.com.au |
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Gemma Horbury Gemma Horbury is a performer, artist and educator with a passion for music that defies genre. Her work shifts between technological innovation and tradition, yet is underpinned by deep connections to sustainability and developing individual and community capacity through the arts. Gemma is a recipient of the Yamaha Jazz Spirit Award and conducts world music ensemble Orkeztra Glasso Bashalde. |
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Gideon Brazil Gideon is a Melbourne based woodwind specialist. Gideon is a member of some of Melbourne’s finest acts: Gotye, Cleverhorse, The Rockets, Hoodoo Mayhem New Orleans Brass Band and The Baker Boys Band as well as performing regularly with Orchestra Victoria, the Bennetts Lane Big Band and More Than Opera. Gideon also leads his own projects, Deco Duo, Trio Brazil, The Southside Hammond Clan and his original jazz sextet, The Natives, which released an album of Gideon’s compositions entitled ‘Yma Jam Yma’ in 2008. |
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Hue Blanes Hue Blanes is a force of nature and a master of his craft. Paving his reputation as a musician who is comfortable in any style. A staggeringly original voice in Australian music with extraordinary hands on the piano, he is perhaps becoming most recognized for his unique song-writing ability and lone sound. http://www.poundrecords.com/artists/hue-blanes/ |
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Hugh Harvey Originally from Adelaide, drummer Hugh Harvey (B. Mus Honours) relocated to Melbourne in 2004 and has become firmly entrenched in the Melbourne music scene. A versatile sideman, Hugh is a member of Julien Wilson’s B for Chicken, Adam Simmons’ Origami, Mingus Amongst Us, ATM15 and The Meltdown, and has performed with CW Stoneking, Ali McGregor, Vika Bull, Chris Wilson, Flap! and more. In 2011, Hugh was a semi-finalist in the National Jazz Awards, and attended the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music in 2010. |
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James Hullick James is one of Australia’s leading culture creators, attracting increasing national and international attention as sound artist, sculptor, composer, curator, community arts worker, published researcher and artistic director of JOLT (professional sound art org) and The Click Clack Project (a community sound art org). His work is marked by a commitment to social engagement, particularly with the inclusion of people of all abilities in professional sonic arts making. This has been most notably achieved through his direction of the Amplified Elephants ensemble for sound artists with an intellectual disability. |
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Jim Moginie Jim Moginie was guitarist, multi instrumentalist and songwriter in ARIA Hall Of Fame recipients Midnight Oil throughout their entire career. In 2014 he was artist in Residence at Campbelltown Arts Centre, composing ‘The Colour Wheel’ which he is performing currently with his Electric Guitar Orchestra in Europe and Australia. >> Jim plays traditional Irish music with The Tinkers and surf music with The Break, and is a record producer and film composer. |
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Kaoru Kakizakai Studied shakuhachi with Katsuya Yokoyama. Performed at the First International Shakuhachi Music Festival, Bisei, Okayama 1998 Performed at the Second International Shakuhachi Music Festival, Boulder, Colorado, USA 2000 Performed Toru Takemitsu’s “November Steps” with the NHK Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Dutoit.Performed Toru Takemitsu’s “Eclipse”, Seiji Ozawa’s Birthday Charity Concert. 2013 Performed Toru Takemitsu’s “November Steps” with the NHK Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Dutoit in Salzbrug music festival. Currently lecturer at Tokyo College of Music. http://www.kakizakai.com |
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Kutcha Edwards/Dan Smith Kutcha Edwards As one of Australia’s most respected and renowned Indigenous singer/songwriters and proud Mutti Mutti man, Kutcha Edwards performs music that’s a fusion of his beautiful voice and soulful arrangements. Joined by Dan Fox whose guitar and vocal skills abound Kutcha shares songs and stories that illicit an audience connection and sense of belonging. Kutcha’s dulcet tones and his tales both poignant and comic, makes for an unforgettable concert experience and an encounter with a remarkable Aboriginal man. http://www.youtube.com/user/kutchaedwardschannel |
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Leah Scholes Leah is passionate about imagination, delight and pathos, and pursues the integration of visual and physical theatre in her work. She is the Artistic Associate of Barking Spider Visual Theatre, and co-founder of the The Sound Collectors (percussion duo) and The Flying Tapirs (theatrical-music duo). Leah’s career highlights include working/touring with Speak Percussion, Nick Tsiavos Ensemble, Strange Fruit, Chunky Move, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, and studying sabar and djembe drumming in Dakar, Senegal. |
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Luke Jaaniste Luke Jaaniste is a sonic artist from Brisbane who works with whole-body listening and the immersive, vibrational qualities of sound. He works on a range of ongoing ‘expanded music’ performance-installations spanning piano (TRANCE PIANO), vintage electric keyboards (PORTAL), bass guitar (SUB TERROR), noise rock (THUNDER CLOUD), electro-hypnotica (HHAARRPP) and site-specific participation (SUPER CRITICAL MASS). 2015 highlights include GOMA’s Asia Pacific Triennial, Prague Quadrennial, and the MESMERISM festivals as part of his Fresh Ground residency at Judith Wright Centre. |
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Martin Martini Martin Martini is a Melbourne musician, composer, producer and the founder of Pound Records; a record label he created to mentor and champion his fellow Melbourne musicians. He is a vessel from which spills odd songs and ballads, from the strangely beautiful and beguiling to the pouncing, gruff contrariness of stomps and old-style dancing numbers. In a sense, Martini is a primitive songwriter – unlike a commercial fisherman, he sits on a boat in the middle of the river waiting for a whale. http://www.poundrecords.com/artists/martin-martini/ |
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Mary Doumany Mary Doumany is a Victorian based composer, harpist, singer and lyricist. Her music, particularly her harp and her vocal works, have been performed and recorded extensively. Her compositions have appeared on ABC releases, and her work features on Australian and international film soundtracks, among them, “Shine’ and “The Truman Show”. Doumany has worked in multiple genres, collaborating with David Hirschfelder. Jeremy Alsop, Joe Cindamo, Doug de Vries and David Jones among others, to create albums of original, critically acclaimed music. |
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Michael Kieran Harvey Michael Kieran Harvey is a Tasmanian-based musician. He has received significant international recognition and awards as a pianist and composer, and is a keen contributor to, and commentator on the artistic scene in Australia. His compositions are held at the AMC and his numerous recordings can be found on iTunes. http://members.iinet.net.au/~michaelkharvey/ |
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Miranda Hill Miranda is a double bassist who balances a busy classical performing career with more experimental pursuits. She’s the founder and director of 3 Shades Black; the “Flying Tapirs” theatre-music duo with Leah Scholes; and Fine Fine Small Mountain, who have just returned from a 6 month residency in rural China. Miranda believes experimental music is awesome and wants everyone to love it, and is passionate about new music, old music, fun music, folk music, improvised music, banjo music, and bicycles. |
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Monica Brooks Hailing from the Blue Mountains, Monica Brooks works with aural forms: composition and performance being two main features. Improvisation and experimentation characterise the primary functions for compositions and soundartworks alike, often mangling approaches to achieve a more interesting result. Brooks forms sound works, compositions, and improvisations from piano, computer, field recordings, glass, radio, and accordion. As a performer she has collaborated with various fabulous folks such as Jim Denley, Dale Gorfinkel, Herminone Johnson, Chris Abrahams, Robbie Avenaim, Kraig Grady, Richard Nuns, Eugene Chadbourne, and Joe Talia. http://softpotatoes.net/ |
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Monique diMattina A Fulbright scholar, Monique lived in New York, working with many Jazz and Pop greats, before returning to Melbourne in 2009. Since then she has released two exquisite solo piano albums (“The thinking person’s zen escape” – The Village Voice – and “Calm notes with a sharp intelligence” – BBC Radio 4) and two critically acclaimed albums in her more frequently performed singer/songwriter incarnation – the latest, Nola’s Ark, being recorded in New Orleans with musicians from the bands of Harry Connick Jnr and Dr John. |
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Origami Origami has been hailed as one of Adam Simmons’ strongest projects, which include the Adam Simmons Quartet, New Blood, Collider, La Société des Antipodes and the renowned Adam Simmons Toy Band. Origami formed in 2010 and have no released four acclaimed albums, The Blues of Joy, Karaoke, The Usefulness of Art and the recent Billy Tea to Burgers. They have performed at The Village Festival, Wangaratta Jazz & Blues Festival, Mildura Jazz Food & Wine Festival, Eltham Jazz Festival and presented The Usefulness of Art for the inaugural Peter Blizzard Memorial Concert at the Festival of Slow Music. |
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Paul Simmons Fell in love with music, and specifically the saxophone, as a child. Listening to the radio exposed me to gospel, rock and roll, jazz and blues, from an early age. Bought my first sax at 18 and am largely self-taught through listening to, and playing to records of the greats – Sidney Bechet was the first and remains an inspiration, then Willie Smith and Johnny Hodges, quickly followed by Ben Webster, Gene Ammons and John Coltrane. More recently, Joe Henderson and David Sanborn. The list continues to grow! |
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Sam Boon Sam Boon is an Australian saxophonist, pianist, arranger and composer currently based in Melbourne. Having graced the stages of some of the world’s finest venues and festivals, Sam Boon currently enjoys balancing a rigorous live performance schedule with exciting musical collaborations. Recognised for his intense passion, Sam’s experience as a live performer enables him to find resonance with a variety of artists as a soloist, arranger, composer and musical director both in the studio and live. |
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Satu Vänskä Satu was born to a Finnish family in Japan where she took her first violin lessons at the age of three. Her family moved back to Finland in 1989 and continued her studies in Finalnd and Germany, graduating in 2001. In 1998 Sinfonia Lahti named her “Young Soloist of the Year”. Satu was appointed Assistant Leader of the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 2004, performing regularly as guest director and soloist, and features in a variety of roles at festivals with the ACO in Australia, Niseko and Maribor. https://www.aco.com.au/about/musicians/satu_vanska |
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Steve Falk In addition to his involvement with contemporary music ensembles, symphony orchestras and musical theatre, Steve often performs with leading improvisers both within Australia and in Japan (where he lived between 2005 and 2011). He has previously performed his original music at the OZAsia Festival, Adelaide and his compositions for the wonderful Federation Handbells at The Light in Winter Federation Square and the Melbourne Recital Centre. He is delighted to return to his hometown of Ballarat for the 2015 Festival of Slow Music. http://www.stevefalkmusic.com/site/welcome.html |
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Su Li Su Li Dean of College of Arts of Xiamen University, ProfessorManchu. National First-grade Performer. Musical Arts Doctor of Russia St.Petersburg State Music Academy.Committee member of National Art Education Graduate Students Steering,State Council Academic Degrees Committee. Committee member of 5th Arts Education Committee of Ministry of Education, committee member ofChinese Musicians association’s 7th Music Education Committee. jury of 5th-6th National Youth Cello Competition, Vice-Chairman of FujianMusicians association, Standing Committee of Xiamen CPPCC. |
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The Flying Tapirs The Flying Tapirs are Miranda and Leah, two classical music nerds who love to break out and use both their well-honed and somewhat developing skills in search of the sublime and ridiculous. You may encounter them at your front door as they carry out Cakebombing escapades throughout the town, or around the streets singing Protest Jingles – little ditties they’ve cooked up about issues that deserve a voice. A fun voice. And perhaps a little banjo or accordion. https://flyingtapirs.wordpress.com |
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Tony Gould Passing through many periods of music in the last 50 years, Tony Gould has developed his own distinctive style, which insists on the primacy of melodic material, the complex and glorious world of harmony and of playing things differently each and every time. He is an influential teacher, though not always in the most traditional sense, preferring to lead by example rather than to stand and lecture and as such has inspired many students who have then gone on to their own influential paths. He is himself influenced by many musicians past and present and other creative beings such as Bach, Rosalie Gascoigne, Stravinsky, Robert Hughes, Mahler and Jackson Pollock. |
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Wang Zheng-Ting Wang Zheng-Ting graduated from Shanghai Music Conservatory and completed a MA in Ethnomusicology at Monash University and a PhD in Ethnomusicology at the University of Melbourne. He teaches Chinese Instrumental Music at the University of Melbourne and has been invited as a visiting scholar to the City University of New York. He directs the Australian Chinese Music Ensemble. As a lecturer and solo performer on the Sheng, he has performed many international recitals including: New York, Zurich, New Zealand, Thailand, Japan, China, and Germany. |