COMING UP!
SYNERGY PERCUSSION, GRAINGER QUARTET & WILLIAM BARTON
MANTRAS & ANGELS
CITY RECITAL HALL ANGEL PLACE
Friday October 17, 2008
One World Premiere, Two Australian Premieres!
Bookings: 02 8256 2222 or http://www.cityrecitallhall.com
BUY NOW & SAVE: Mention the code word SYNERGY when booking your tickets and pay only $54 (save $5 on adult price). Offer expires Sunday 21 September.You can book this special offer on line. http://www.cityrecitalhall.com/events/id/345/Mantras-Angels and enter the promotion code ANGEL
Mantras & Angels will feature the music of three of Australia's finest composers - Peter Sculthorpe, Ross Edwards and Gerard Brophy - all of whom will be appearing on stage to introduce their music, including two Australian premieres: Tucson Mantras (Ross Edwards) and Vox Angelica (Gerard Brophy). William Barton will then introduce and perform in the world premiere of his new work for didjeridu, percussion quartet and string quartet. He will also feature in Peter Sculthorpe's String Quartet No 12 (from Ubirr) and the percussion quartet versions of Djilile and Jabiru Dreaming.The program will also include music from two great musical visionaries, Percy Grainger and the late Karlheinz Stockhausen. Grainger Quartet's James Cuddeford has arranged Grainger's Arrival Platform Humlet and Beautiful Fresh Flower and to complete the suite we perform Random Round, Grainger's groundbreaking experiment in spontaneous music making. .
And to celebrate the 80th anniversary of his birth, the concert will include Stockhausen's most approachable and most performed piece Tierkreis, based on the signs of the Zodiac.
This will be a magical evening of music to enrich the mind and soul!
http://www.synergypercussion.com
RECENT PERFORMANCES/SESSIONS/WORKSHOPS
RITUAL
Michael has recorded his extensive collection of singing bowls (engineered by Bob Scott) for Sydney composer Felicity Fox - the recordings will become an important aspect of Felicity's new work 'Ritual'.
AUSTRALIA RECORDING SESSIONS
In September Michael joined the cream of Sydney's studio percussionists at Fox Studio's Trackdown Recording Stage to record percussion overdubs for Baz Luhrman's upcoming epic 'Australia'. The music has been composed by Oscar nominee, David Hirshfelder - one of Australia's leading film composers. The sessions were engineered by Academy Award winner Shawn Murphy.
CARMINA BURANA - presented by McDonald College of Performing Arts
Friday 19th September 7:30pm
City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney
Synergy Percussion joined McDonald College students to perform Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. Synergy’s Michael Askill and Alison Pratt were be joined by Claire Edwardes, Jeremy Barnett, Tim Paillas and Richard Gleeson. Conducted by Michael McGregor.
PEACE & COMPASSION - a concert for Tibet
Sunday June 15, 7pm - City Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney
A concert in support of His Holiness The Dalai Lama during his visit to Sydney.
Along with Synergy Percussion: TaikOz, Riley Lee, Katie Noonan, William Barton, Elena Kats-Chernin, Jimmy Little, Sculthorpe String Quartet, Tenzin Choegyal, Alexandre Oguey, MLC Choir...
- more info: http://www.cityrecitalhall.com/events/id/337/Peace-and-Compassion-A-Concert-for-Tibet/
SPACE & TIME
Synergy returned to the Carriageworks on June 27 & 28 for performances with Fritz Hauser from Switzerland - the New York Times described Fritz as "simply one of the best drummers alive!"
- more info: http://www.carriageworks.com.au/whats_on.php?--- event=spaceandtime
- see the YOUTUBE section for a movie made up of photos taken by Timothy Constable during the SPACE & TIME rehearsal period at Bundanon and rehearsals at Carriageworks.
...IN THE BETWEEN - Meditations and Illuminations on the Tibetan Book of the Dead
Saturday July 5, 10.00pm and 12 midnight - Music Workshop, Sydney Conservatorium of Music
featuring Trikaya (Michael Askill, Riley Lee, Tenzin Choegyal and James Coates).
- more info: http://www.worldshakuhachifestival08.com/public_concerts.html
THE PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE-A GUIDED TOUR
Synergy Percussion presented a 3 day percussion workshop on July 7, 8 and 9 at Newington College, Stanmore Sydney (where Synergy is currently in-residence) for music teachers, students and percussion enthusiasts. An exciting and informative three days covering topics such as:
Composing for percussion
Improvising with percussion instruments
Percussion and computer electronics
Basic percussion techniques
Creating a drum circle for everyone
NEWS: Michael Askill
2008
- Michael Askill's score for 'Eclipse' ( a film exploring life on the streets of Mumbai directed by Mark Lapwood) has won 'Best Original Score' at the recent St Kilda Film Festival Awards in Melbourne. Check out some images from the film in the GALLERY section. For a full list of winners check out this link: http://www.if.com.au/PR/View.aspx?newsid=958
- Michael Askill's 'World Music Suite', commissioned for the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 FIFA Congress, was performed in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House on May 29.
- Music by Michael Askill has been featured in two festivals this year. 'Lemurian Dances', 'Outward Spiral', 'Salome's Entrance' and 'no rest from the dance' were performed at the Arizona Winter Chamber Music Festival in Tucson, Arizona and 'Four Winds Drumming' was performed at the Four Winds Festival in Bermagui, NSW.
- Michael Askill's next CD release by Celestial Harmonies will feature 'Invisible Forces' (music composed for Graeme Murphy and Sydney Dance Company) and 'Asia Drum Suite' (arranged from music composed for the 2006 Asian Games). 'Invisible Forces' features Riley Lee on shakuhachi and 'Asia Drum Suite' features an amazing line-up of percussionists including Hossam Ramzy (Egyptian tabla, riq and bendir), Bobby Singh (tablas and vocals), Simon Barker (Korean percussion), Ron Reeves (Javanese drums, gamelan and vocals), Graham Hilgendorf (Japanese taiko and percussion), Philip South (udu drum and frame drums), Gary France (Javanese gamelan) and Synergy Percussion.
- 'no rest from the dance' (for percussion sextet) is now published and available. Already published and available are 'Lemurian Dances' and 'spirals' (both for percussion quartet).
NEWS: Michael Askill with Synergy Percussion
2008
- Synergy, TaikOz and Riley Lee premiered Gerard Brophy's 'Book of Clouds' for shakuhachi and percussion with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in May:
"Even with modern music it’s rare to have the composer on stage. So it was a bonus to have the softly-spoken Gerard Brophy at the world premiere of The Book of Clouds to introduce his work.
He saw a book of that name in a museum and then "all I had to do was write the piece", he explained.
And what a piece it was – adding Taikoz, Synergy and shakuhachi guru Riley Lee to the mix, with some rarely-seen instruments - like the Himalayan singing bowls that made an evocative opening to the work.
From the moment the strings picked up the low sound and introduced the first subject it was evident that this was music that surpassed traditional definition: with “Asian” overtones, but grounded in a European symphonic tradition.
It worked.
As Lee ascended the steps to the platform in monk-like garb, bringing the shakuhachi sound with him, it was evident that this work was also about theatre, which was to be at its most spectacular when the percussionists swung into the extended, very physical – and thrilling – routine that was the climax of the work." Suzanne Yanko, Arts Hub
- Synergy presented a concert of music by Steve Reich and Iannis Xenakis at Sydney's Carriageworks in April:
"Synergy Percussion - a capacity for reinvention, driven by talent and imagination while sticking to strong artistic values, honouring the giants of the past, as well as the young and the bold." Peter McCallum, Sydney Morning Herald
- Synergy performed at the 2008 Four Winds Festival held at Bermagui on the NSW South Coast in late March. Other artists featured included TaikOz and Omar Faruk Tekbilek and his band. (See GALLERY)
-more information: http://www.fourwinds.com.au/
- Synergy toured to the US for the first time in February/March 2008. Their percussion recital (featuring an all-Australian program) was received with a standing ovation:
Australia's Synergy Percussion Quartet gets standing ovation
By Cathalena E. Burch
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
"On a stage barely big enough to fit all of its drums, gongs, bongos, bells, xylophone and twin marimbas, Australia's premiere ensemble Synergy Percussion Quartet made its U.S. debut Monday night at Tucson's intimate Leo Rich Theatre.
It came on Day 2 of the 15th annual Tucson Winter Chamber Mu..."
-more information:
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/mailstory-clickthru/228108.php
- Synergy also featured in the premiere a new work by one of Australia's leading composers, Ross Edwards. This new work (for string quartet, didjeridu and percussion) was commissioned by the Arizona Winter Chamber Music Festival. -more information: http://arizonachambermusic.org/welcome.htm
FROM 2007
- Synergy and Taikoz with Riley Lee (shakuhachi) performed 'The Five Elements' at Sydney's City Recital Hall on November 23, 2007. Special guests: James Coates (spoken word) and Danny Yeadon (baroque cello). (see GALLERY)
- Synergy performed Steve Reich's 'Tehillim' in August 2007 with Sydney ensembles Halcyon and Ensemble Offspring. Also featured was the Australian premiere of Gyorgy Ligeti's masterpiece 'Sippal, Dobbal, Nadihegeduvel' for percussion quartet and mezzo-soprano.
- In July Synergy was in-residence for a week at Arthur Boyd's Riverside artists retreat in Bundanon, NSW. In-residence were Synergy's Michael Askill, Timothy Constable and Bree van Reyk performing on an array of gongs and singing bowls. James Coates performed spoken word extracts from Thoreau, Pushkin, Rimbaud, D.H. Lawrence and others while Bob Scott was responsible for live computer processing.
"In their evening performance at the end of a week at Bundanon, Synergy opened the door on a new kind of improvisation. In the wood-paneled space, its northern glass wall catching the last lights of the day as the sun cast its evening signature on the Shoalhaven, Synergy made new music in collaboration with the river-bend, the shale-blue light, the trees, the air, the audience, and a group of ancient instruments… . Each of the players passed new thresholds in terms of their individual performances, and became elements in a resonant installation, extending the way we hear time, sound and language and how we experience ourselves in the world."
Zsuzsanna Soboslay, artist and reviewer, Real Time bi-monthly arts magazine.
- Gerard Brophy completed a new work for Synergy composed for Himalayan singing bowls. The premiere performance of this new work, 'Luminoso', will be announced soon.
- Timothy Constable was appointed Assistant Artistic Director of Synergy and Bree van Reyk joined the group following the departure of Philip South.
NEWS: Michael Askill & Trikaya
- Trikaya performed '...in the between' at the 2008 World Shakuhachi Festival in Sydney. http://www.worldshakuhachifestival08.com/public_concerts.html
- Trikaya performed '...in the between' on May 25, 2007 at the A & I Hall, Bangalow, NSW. Special guests: the Tashi Llunpo monks direct from Dharamsala, India. Presented by Ku Promotions. see reviews & comments
NEWS: Michael Askill & recent CD/DVD releases
The World According to Shorts
featuring Daniel Askill's 'we have decided not to die' ("a visually stunning imagining of human rituals" NY Times),with music by Michael Askill. http://movies.nytimes.com/2006/07/21/movies/21shor.html
Eclipse
directed by Mark Lapwood, music by Michael Askill
"Eclipse is a non-verbal film inspired by films like Baraka & Koyaanisqatsi. Featuring stunning images and a hypnotic musical score, there are no actors, nor any dialogue, only real people and the elements." ML (see GALLERY)
http://www.marklapwood.com/drama.php
2006 Asian Games CD and DVD
featuring music by Michael Askill and a host of international composers.
-more information: http://www.doha-2006.com
The Hinchinbrook Riffs
Music by Nigel Westlake
various artists including Synergy Percussion performing 'Kalabash'
-more information: http://www.members.iinet.net.au/~tallpoppies/
space
frtiz hauser & michael askill
music for bells, cymbals and gong
recorded inside Therme Vals, Switzerland (see GALLERY)
-more information: http://www.harmonies.com/releases/13262.htm
"Silence is the massive, blank, black canvas which Switzerland's Fritz Hauser and Australia's Michael Askill light with the sounds of bells. This alum was recorded before dawn on two mornings in a cave at Therme Vals, Switzerland, lending electric resonance to the sudden flashes, flares and booms of sound emanating from a collection of bells intended to be worn by cows, sheep and goats. The music is improvised and the players often let silence come flooding back in like the tide between strikes. It is sufficiently spooky that those with heart conditions should keep the light on while listening."
John Shand, ABC Limelight Magazine, March 2007