ART0’s Post

https://lnkd.in/e-swp5Kp This is it! 🎵 I am so thrilled to share with you my last work for orchestra, Shores (working title: "Longing For Belonging"), conducted by Erin Bodnar. I want to thank the Mostly Modern Festival for choosing my work and giving me this tremendous opportunity to make my music happen - it's more rare than you could imagine! The piece has a suffered story. If you want to know more about it, here's an extract of the program notes. "It all started with “The Island” - a long time ago, probably during the pandemic in 2020, as a musical theater piece [...] meant to be based on a dialogue by Cesare Pavese, part of the book “Dialoghi con Leucò”. I remember reading this book and that “The Island” dialogue in particular, and getting so emotionally involved. It was about the story between Odysseus and Calypso, in a sort of alternative ending of the Odyssey where the protagonist decides not to come back home, but stay on the island with Calypso, because - freely paraphrasing her words from the book: It's just an island, what difference does it make where you decide to lie down and rest your head? And even if you eventually manage to come back to Ithaca, will you even be able to recognize your own houses after 20 years? And the people? Some of them will certainly be understanding, but will you ever be able to share what you have seen and done? You will feel more alone than in the sea. At the time, I found it interesting for the implications of the piece: it was full of insights about what it means to be isolated, and what is the meaning of travel and returning home. It was, as I said, during the pandemic, so of course, the theme was also resonating with the current situation in my life where I was in Germany and couldn’t come back home to Italy. It was a tough time in my life, I was scared for my loved ones - I remember having nightmares every single night. Anyway, the project evolved, but I never actually managed to make it an opera: not only because of the lack of funding, but also - to be honest - because the dialogue was so full and rich of intellectual interest that I found it difficult to transpose it into a libretto to be sung and not really “understood”.

The events you need to pencil in if you want to delve into all things Hellenic Down Under. https://ow.ly/Q7MW50RcOQH

Another example of joyful jazz music teamwork! The jazz trio music starts about 1:27 into the video. Love the virtuoso solos and the joyful encouragement between bandmates. Dang these guys are good! #jazz #teamwork #psychology

Picture the scene - Sydney on NYE 2023… 🎆 We’d just got to the city that morning with plans to wander around, to visit some of the sights and soak up the atmosphere before finding a good spot early evening to watch the fireworks from. By 10.45am, the opera house, botanical gardens and all access was closed because it was full. This is 10.45am, a full 13 hours before the fireworks….. Over the course of the next hour, various parts of the city were closed as thousands of people descended & found spots to watch the action from. By noon, it was clear that our plans were shot to pieces and we needed a new plan. I was really frustrated, not gonna lie, but Lily - calm as a cucumber- suggested we go back to the hotel, gather our stuff for the evening and find a spot to sit & wait, for 11 hours 🙈. This photo is us at Circular Quay doing just that. We had a great spot with a fantastic view of both the Harbour Bridge & the Opera House. We played cards, took pics, listened to music 🎶 but then got chatting to a fabulous couple who sat in front of us. They were touring Australia in a camper van and we had the most brilliant evening with them. Time passed so fast and it was a cracking night. Sometimes we don’t want to have to do something different, sometimes we just want to stick to the plan. But sometimes, life throws unavoidable curveballs and we have to adapt. We changed our plan on NYE and ended up having a fabulous night. How do you cope when life or work throws you a curveball? #TeamDynamics #SelfAwareness #ChangeManagement

The events you need to pencil in if you want to delve into all things Hellenic Down Under. https://ow.ly/gAXq50RiGac

Loved any step of it, any problem we overcome, any limit that made us change direction, any note, any pixel, any byte. #multimediaevent #event #multimedia #visualart #creativetech #Innovativemedia #contemporaryart #art #tech #techno

The events you need to pencil in if you want to delve into all things Hellenic Down Under. https://ow.ly/ZPeU50R84ig

State Solo & Ensemble Festival Update: Take a moment to review the memo linked here which clarifies some commonly asked questions about accompaniment. https://conta.cc/3VUSZEh

The Paradox of Promoting Western Sydney's Orchestral Talent: A Journey to the City for Concerts As a professional dedicated to fostering orchestral training opportunities and promoting orchestral concerts in Western Sydney with West Phil, I find myself in a paradoxical situation. Despite the rich cultural tapestry and immense talent in Western Sydney, I am compelled to journey to the city to stage concerts. This scenario, while a logistical necessity, points to a larger issue - the absence of a venue that adequately represents and serves the diverse and vibrant community of Western Sydney. One can’t necessarily begrudge plans underway for a 1350-1400 seat lyric theatre at the Riverside Theatre, which can “support Parramatta’s aspiration and trajectory to becoming a great global and cultural city…” and “sets a number of ambitious goals for its future, including providing flexible performance spaces, offering an expanded artistic program for a diverse community; and crafting an iconic and distinctive architectural landmark for Western Sydney.” However, there remains a glaring gap. Western Sydney, home to over 2.5 million people and representing the geographical heart of a much larger “Sydney”, lacks an acoustically suitable and available venue for a concert grand piano to perform alongside a full-size symphony orchestra. The irony is palpable - the region pulsates with musical potential and audience enthusiasm but its talents are often showcased in venues far removed from their local roots. The need is clear. We require a space not just for the local populace but for the entire city, a venue that is not beholden to the needs of slot machines (yes… I said it, and to be sure I’m not referring to the Riverside!) but in the interests of cultural and artistic enrichment. This need is not merely about physical space; it is about respecting and nurturing the artistic soul of Western Sydney. It's about creating a venue where local talents can perform in their community, for their community. As we appreciate and look forward to the development of the Riverside, let us also advocate for a venue that meets the specific needs of orchestral performances. Might sound like an odd plea when institutions in Australia associated with “high art” attract the lion’s share of an already diminutive pool of arts funding. However, traditional Western forms of music and music-making are not only the preserve of the Sydney “East”. I find it hard to overlook the sight of so many music cases – violins, flutes, cellos, guitars etc. – being lugged by legions of children traipsing to and from their schools and music lessons just west of the “Latte Line” each weekday. #WesternSydney #CulturalDevelopment #SymphonyOrchestra #MusicEducation Sydney Eisteddfod Music Teachers' Association of NSW Western Sydney University Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue

How to open the circles of conservative music theatre and include future donors, technology, artistic ideas and audiences? See the full opening keynote of Aviel Cahn (General Manager of the Grand Théâtre de Genève and designated director of Deutsche Oper Berlin). At Classical:NEXT 2024 he talked about the current state of music theatre, how to work against conservative understandings and how to attract new donors and audiences alike. "Opera will become an endangered species, if it stays a dusty art form from another time, if it is uncapable to react to the challenges of our time, if it loses touch with a quickly evolving society and hence if it loses financial support because politicians or new generations of donors are not interested in it.   Meaning: We need to challenge our structures, our repertoire as well as our role in society!" https://lnkd.in/eyqJSNty