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The sounds of modern indigenous Australians.
After a long break, Australia’s leading ensemble Offspring returns to Europe to present the best new Australian music. Under the direction of percussionist Claire Edwardes, the quartet of flute, clarinet, cello and percussion will perform Composing Songlines, the first international performance of the repertoire of the acclaimed Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers program. Ngarra-Burria” is a Dharug word (Aborigines from Broken Bay, Australia) and means “to hear, to sing”. The Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers Program is an initiative that has been building bridges for First Peoples musicians to develop their composition skills and connect with the art music sector since 2016.
Ensemble Offspring is Australia’s leading new music group. They bring together the country’s most fearless instrumentalists under the direction of internationally renowned percussionist Claire Edwardes. They subvert the traditions of classical music and deliver concerts bursting with imagination, energy and inspiration. As a leading advocate of contemporary music in Australia, Ensemble Offspring has commissioned and premiered over 350 works and toured the world performing new Australian music. Through its unwavering commitment to excellence and equality, Ensemble Offspring continues to shape a vibrant and diverse artistic future for Australian music.
Claire Edwardesinternationally acclaimed percussionist and artistic director of Ensemble Offspring, has been described by the press as a percussion wizard. She is passionate about commissioning new music and is the only Australian to have won four APRA Art Music Luminary Awards since winning the Young Performers Award in 1999.
Lamorna Nightingales The transformative contribution to new Australian music includes numerous recordings and performances, the presentation of unique concert experiences and several educational volumes published through her company Fluteworthy. In 2017, Lamorna launched BackStage Music, a concert platform that promotes grassroots art music in Australia.
Jason Noble is one of Australia’s most adaptable clarinettists, playing classical, experimental and improvisational genres. He has performed at music festivals from Warsaw to London and throughout Australia. His albums feature new Australian clarinet works that reflect his collaborations with established and emerging composers.
Freya Schack-Arnott (DK/AUS) is a contemporary cellist and nyckel harpist who enjoys a multi-faceted career as a performer, improviser, composer and curator, ranging from the contemporary classical repertoire to experimental, electronic, folk and popular art forms. She performs regularly with Australia’s leading new music ensembles as well as with her own projects.
Nardi Simpson is a Yuwaalaray writer, musician, composer and educator from the freshwater plains of northwest New South Wales. Nardi is a founding member of the indigenous folk duo Stiff Gins and has been performing nationally and internationally for twenty years.
Luise Stender, Marbella Czaja, Emilia Forster, Elise Otto, Fanny Sel Baute, Agnes Hausstätter, Zora Aurelia Damm, Alma Su Baute