2020 Program

Home 2020 Program

Term 1

Artist Program: Bell Curve
Postponed
Grainger Museum
UPDATE 18/03/20: In response to the COVID-19 situation, the upcoming Bell Curve school holiday program has been postponed to ensure the health and safety of all involved in our Sounds Unheard community. New dates are under negotiation.

Speak Percussion present a new version of Bell Curve composed by Speak Percussion’s Artistic Director Eugene Ughetti, involving a sophisticated sonic choreography for Victoria’s Federation Hand Bells redesigned for the unique layout of the Grainger Museum.

Twelve independent bell players are installed across a large performance space and are controlled by networked wireless click tracks in a mesmerising performance. Audiences are interspersed amongst the performers experiencing both the intimacy and complex exchange of rhythmic and spatial structures. Sounds Unheard Members will be invited to take part in this new performance, featured in the Grainger’s 2020 Exhibition Program.

For further information and the full schedule, please download the Bell Curve Flyer. To apply please fill out the online form here.

Applications for the Bell Curve Performance Program must be received by midnight Friday March 20. Percussionists, non-percussionists, composers and electronic musicians are all highly encouraged to apply. Students will be notified of the outcome of their application on Monday March 23.

Term 3
School Holiday Intensive
September 21-25
Online

This September, Sounds Unheard is taking its annual School Holiday Intensive online with a brand new program focused on creativity, composition, improvisation and more. Participants will receive creative prompts from leading Australian and international artists in the fields of new and experimental music, and will work with Speak Percussion to create, record and film their musical responses in their own homes. This program is ideal for students interested in innovation, imagination and thinking outside the box.

Participants will be guided through every part of the creative process and will work both individually and in small groups to brainstorm, experiment, record and share their unique creations. All sessions will be held over Zoom, allowing students from across metropolitan and regional Victoria to participate.

For further information and the full schedule, please download the School Holiday Intensive Flyer. To apply please fill out the online form here.

Applications for the School Holiday Intensive must be received by 5pm Tuesday September 15. Percussionists, non-percussionists, composers and electronic musicians are all highly encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and applying early is encouraged to avoid disappointment.

Term 4
December Performance Program
December 6-12
Online / Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre

Sounds Unheard’s Performance Intensive program returns in December, with a week of inspiring composition and performance activities for secondary students.

Students will take part in online sessions with London-based Australian composer Matthew Shlomowitz to learn about his ‘Letter Pieces’ – an ongoing series of short performance pieces combining physical actions and sound. During the week the students will work in pairs under the guidance of Matthew and Speak Percussion artists to compose, workshop and rehearse their own letter pieces before filming their new works with a professional videographer.

With restrictions easing in Victoria and inter-school activities now permitted, we’re pleased to announce that students can apply for this program in pairs or as individuals, to be assigned a partner by Speak. Applications are strongly encouraged from students with an interest in musical performance, composition, drama and/or dance.

Students will be assigned a time for the two in-person activities (a personalised workshop session and a filming session) where they will work with their partner and Speak Percussion mentors.

Speak Percussion’s full CovidSAFE plan for this activity can be provided on request.

For further information and the full schedule, please download the December Performance Program Flyer. To apply please fill out the online form here.

Applications for the December Performance Program must be received by 5pm Wednesday 2 December. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and applying early is encouraged to avoid disappointment.

Toolbox perform Letter Piece No.5

Throughout 2020

Online Masterclasses
www.soundsunheard.com/watch

Access international artists, professional experts and a wealth of musical knowledge from your home, school or practice room. These online sessions are presented by some of the world’s most exciting musicians, on topics including performance preparation, approaches to composition, extended techniques and more.

Sounds Unheard Experts presenting masterclasses in 2020 include: flutist, collaborative artist and cultural activist Claire Chase (US), Icelandic composer collective S.L.A.T.U.R., and composer, performer and media artist Jessie Marino (US/DE).


Past Activities: 2019 Program

Backstage Pass: Persephassa
April 13, 10am – 1pm
Australian National Academy of Music, South Melbourne

Speak Percussion join students from the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) to present Surround Sound. This event features four 20th century masterpieces for piano and percussion – including a rare performance of Xenakis’ Persephassa, in which six percussionists will surround the audience to create a rarely experienced sonic spectacle.

A select number of students will be invited to attend the dress rehearsal for this performance on Saturday April 13 from 10-1. This is a wonderful opportunity to see some of the most interesting and renowned works for percussion and piano, and for students interested in future musical studies to visit one of Australia’s premier musical training institutions.

Artist Internship: Studio Project Internship
April 15-17
Speak Percussion Studio & Pughouse Studios, Thornbury
Second World Studios, Fairfield

This April, Speak Percussion and Pughouse Studios are taking students into the studio for a series of hands-on sessions on composing, recording and designing new musical projects with three exceptional artists.

Over three days, students will:

  • Meet Berlin-based composer Thomas Meadowcroft, hear about his studio project ‘March Static’ and learn how to prepare for their recording session
  • Visit Pughouse Studios to learn about recording processes and take part in a recording session with producer and sound engineer Niko Schauble
  • Explore new possibilities in electronic composition and processing with electro-acoustic composer and sound designer Tilman Robinson

The Studio Project Internship will be split into two streams: a beginner stream for students new to recording and working with digital audio workstations (eg. Ableton, GarageBand, Protools) and an advanced stream for students with some experience or prior knowledge.

Participation in this program is free for Victorian secondary students, and places are strictly limited.Students will be asked to bring an instrument to their sessions on April 15 and 16 to develop and record their own small compositions or improvisations. All other equipment will be provided by Speak Percussion and Sounds Unheard program partners.

For further information and the full schedule, please download the Studio Project Internship Flyer. To apply please fill out the online form here.

Applications for the Recording Project Internship must be received by 5pm Monday April 8, 2019. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and applying early to avoid disappointment is encouraged.

Artist Program: Alice Miller Artists Week
April 29 – May 3
Alice Miller School

Sounds Unheard will present an exclusive Artist Program for Alice Miller School’s Artists Week. Over five days the Alice Miller students will explore the roles of performer, composer, producer and director as they prepare an existing contemporary work and collaboratively develop a new work for performance at the conclusion of the week.

School Holiday Intensive: Bell Curve
July 1-5
Grainger Museum

In July, Speak Percussion will present a new version of Bell Curve composed by Speak Percussion’s Artistic Director Eugene Ughetti, involving a sophisticated sonic choreography for Victoria’s Federation Hand Bells redesigned for the unique layout of the Grainger Museum.

Twelve independent bell players are installed across a large performance space and are controlled by networked wireless click tracks in a mesmerising performance. Audiences are interspersed amongst the performers experiencing both the intimacy and complex exchange of rhythmic and spatial structures. Sounds Unheard Members will be invited to take part in this new performance, featured in the Grainger’s 2019 Exhibition Program.

For further information and the full schedule, please download the Bell Curve Flyer. To apply please fill out the online form here.

Applications for the Bell Curve Performance Program must be received by midnight Tuesday June 25. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and applying early to avoid disappointment is encouraged.

Backstage Pass: Before Nightfall
July 28, 2-5pm
Melbourne CBD

Before Nightfall is a series of new artistic encounters between Speak Percussion and invited guest artists. Each guest artist works with Speak artists intensively across one day, experimenting with a range of musical concepts. In the evening, these investigations culminate in an intimate live performance.

The tenth instalment of the Before Nightfall series features American percussionist Robyn Schulkowsky and is inspired by a collection of twentieth-century graphic scores. Born and raised in South Dakota, Robyn has been an innovator and collaborator throughout her life. She has dedicated herself to revealing the wonders of percussion to people around the world. Her continuous exploration of new sound dimensions has led to the development of new and unusual musical instruments.

Students are invited to attend this open rehearsal to see how this Before Nightfall process unfolds, learning about graphic notation, collaboration, composition, and creative decision making.


Artist Program: Bell Curve
September 30 – October 3
Grainger Museum

In October, select Sounds Unheard participants will join a team of leading tertiary percussionists to present Bell Curve at the Grainger Museum.

Twelve independent bell players are installed across a large performance space and are controlled by networked wireless click tracks in a mesmerising performance. Audiences are interspersed amongst the performers experiencing both the intimacy and complex exchange of rhythmic and spatial structures. Sounds Unheard Members will be invited to take part in this new performance, featured in the Grainger’s 2019 Exhibition Program.

Participation in this event will be by invitation only.


Backstage Pass: Before Nightfall
November 22, 12-5pm
Trocadero Art Space

Before Nightfall is a series of new artistic encounters between Speak Percussion and invited guest artists. Each guest artist works with Speak artists intensively across one day, experimenting with a range of musical concepts. In the evening, these investigations culminate in an intimate live performance.

The tenth instalment of the Before Nightfall series features Sydney-based soprano Jane Sheldon. The gallery will be open from 12-5pm, allowing students to observe the artists experimenting, rehearsing and recording together alongside the artwork in the gallery. Evening performances will be held at 8.30pm.

This open development and rehearsal will allow students to see how this Before Nightfall process unfolds, learning about collaboration, composition, and creative decision making.


Artist Internship: Album Recording Internship
December 9, 13 & 17
Run Stop Sound

Over three sessions in December, two Victorian secondary students will join percussionist Eugene Ughetti (Artistic Director, Speak Percussion) and sound engineer Michael Hewes to learn about the recording process.

Ughetti and Hewes will be recording works by three of Australia’s most innovative composers (Thomas Meadowcroft, James Rushford and Alexander Garsden) alongside excerpts from three of Speak Percussion’s most original projects: Transducer, Assembly Operation and Polar Force. These works will be featured on Ughetti’s upcoming debut album, to be released in 2020.

Students will be invited into the Run Stop Sound recording studio, where they will have the opportunity to learn about score preparation, microphone set up and placement, mixing, mastering and more. This internship is ideal for students interested in pursuing a career in sound engineering, composition and/or musical performance.

For further information and the full schedule, please download the Album Recording Project Internship Flyer. To apply please fill out the online form here.

Applications for the Album Recording Internship must be received by 5pm Friday November 29, 2019. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application on Monday December 2.


Online Masterclasses
www.soundsunheard.com/watch

Access international artists, professional experts and a wealth of musical knowledge from your home, school or practice room. These online sessions are presented by some of the world’s most exciting musicians, on topics including performance preparation, approaches to composition, extended techniques and more.

Sounds Unheard Experts presenting masterclasses in 2019 include: composer, arranger and performer Thomas Meadowcroft (DE/AU), flautist, collaborative artist and cultural activist Claire Chase (US), and percussionist and composer Robyn Schulkowsky (US/DE).


Past Activities: 2018 Program

Artist Talk: Matthias Schack-Arnott in Conversation
March 2, 6-7pm
Lucy Guerin Inc Studios, West Melbourne

Speak Percussion’s Artistic Associate Matthias Schack-Arnott presents a free artist talk exploring the integration of technology and percussion in his current works. Topics will range from kinetics to Max/MSP programming and audio-visual systems, with particular focus on a new work that Matthias is currently developing, Field Sever Points.

Matthias will be joined for this talk by beloved Melbourne broadcaster Owen McKern (PBS 106.7FM) and new media artist Nick Roux.

School Holiday Intensive: Atlas of the Sky
April 10-14, 10am-4pm or 2-9:30pm daily
Arts House, North Melbourne

Atlas of the Sky is a new work of dramatic and ritualistic power by Liza Lim – acclaimed composer and winner of the 2018 Australia Council Don Banks Music Award. The work is scored for solo soprano and three percussion soloists juxtaposed against the driving rhythms, swarming percussion and vocal sounds from a crowd of performers. Atlas of the Sky tells stories about the stars, the power of crowds, and changing constellations of memory.

In the 2018 School Holiday Intensive, Sounds Unheard Members will take part in rehearsals and creative development ahead of the June 18 world premiere performance of Atlas of the Sky (see: Sounds Unheard 2018 Artist Program). The crowd will be an on-stage presence for the majority of the hour-long work, performing on small percussion instruments and singing/reciting. During the Intensive, students will be coached by Liza Lim, Speak Percussion and movement director Jo Lloyd. 

Backstage Pass: Claire Chase Recording
May 28, 4-6pm
Run Stop Sound, Abbotsford

Sounds Unheard Members are invited to an intimate recording session at Run Stop Sound, where Speak Percussion will be working with renowned flautist and collaborative artist Claire Chase (US) and Melbourne-based sound designer, producer and audio engineer Michael Hewes to record an exciting new work by Australian composer Thomas Meadowcroft. This Backstage Pass will be of interest to students interested in learning about the recording process, audio engineering and approaches to interpreting new music. 

Backstage Pass: Before Nightfall #7
May 29, 4-5:30pm
Norla Dome, Docklands

Before Nightfall is a series of artistic encounters between Speak and guest artists, with each encounter occurring across the course of a single day. Starting in the morning, Speak and the guest artist begin the creation of a new collaborative work, developing musical, spatial and conceptual structures that form the basis of a concert-length piece. What results is an intense meeting of minds, culminating in a performance for an intimate audience.

For Before Nightfall #7, Speak will be working with internationally renowned flautist Claire Chase at Mission to Seafarers’ Norla Dome. In this Backstage Pass, Sounds Unheard Members will have the opportunity to see the collaborative process in action as this exciting performance takes shape. Participants will also be included in discussions around presentation decisions on lighting, staging and more ahead of the evening’s performance.  


Sounds Unheard Artist Program: Atlas of the Sky
June 5-18
Kensington Town Hall / Melbourne Recital Centre

Sounds Unheard participants are invited to take part in one of the biggest new music events in Melbourne in 2018; the world premiere of Atlas of the Sky, a new work by acclaimed composer Liza Lim. Atlas of the Sky tells stories about the stars, the power of crowds and changing constellations of memory, combining Speak Percussion’s virtuosic instrumentation, Jessica Aszodi’s vast palette of vocal colour, and driving rhythms with swarming percussion and vocal sounds from a ‘crowd’ of performers.

Over two weeks in June, the exceptional young musicians taking part in this program will work with a team including Jo Lloyd (movement director), Keith Tucker (lighting designer), Tilman Robinson (sound design) and Sheah Sutton (producer) to prepare for the first performance of this thrilling new work. Please note that participants needn’t be percussionists, and that applications are invited from instrumentalists, composers and electronic artists.

For further information, the full rehearsal schedule and to apply for this activity, please download the Atlas of the Sky Application Form.
Applications for the Sounds Unheard Artist Program must be received by May 17, 2018.

Artist Internship: Polar Force
October 2-5
Footscray, Victoria

Victorian secondary students are invited to join Speak Percussion and a team of world-class collaborators for the final development of Polar Force before the world premiere performances in November 2018 at the Arts Centre, Melbourne. Featuring a creative team working on composition, performance, instrument design, direction and dramaturgy, sound design, lighting and set design, this Internship is an exciting opportunity for music, theatre and design students to meet professional artists and see how ambitious new projects are brought to life through collaboration, experimentation and rehearsal.

Polar Force is an immersive live performance combining custom-built ice instruments with Antarctic field recordings, set within a chilled inflatable performance space; an investigation of extreme wind and temperature through hyper-realistic art. This visceral and multi-sensorial work immerses the audience within an overwhelming sound world and performance environment. Presented within a chilled and gusty inflated space, pristine Antarctic field recordings combine with live ice percussion as the audience are exposed to wind, cold, light and haze.

Polar Force explores notions of human fragility and isolation whilst pointing towards climate change. New ice-instruments that produce wholly unique acoustic results will be developed, distorting as they melt and fracture to render the ice and ‘weather’ into audible phenomena. High fidelity field recordings made in the Australian Antarctic Territory of katabatic winds and extreme weather events will form the musical and structural foundation of the work. Dr Philip Samartzis will draw upon the hundreds of hours of recordings made during his two Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowships to underpin the work.

The Internship will be presented in eight sessions focusing on different elements of the performance: composition, lighting, stage and set design, instrument building, costuming and more. Students can elect to attend as many sessions as they like, according to their interests and availability.

For more information on the Polar Force Artist Internship, please download the Information Pack.

To apply, please fill in the online application form.

Backstage Pass: Polar Force
November 22, 6-8pm
Arts Centre Melbourne

Polar Force is an immersive live performance combining custom-built ice instruments with Antarctic field recordings, set within a chilled inflatable performance space; an investigation of extreme wind and temperature through hyper-realistic art.

In this Backstage Pass, students aged 12-18 interested in music, theatre and design are invited to sit in on one of the final rehearsal sessions of this work before the world premiere. Meet the artists, learn about the challenges of making new work and preparing for opening night, and be one of the first in the world to see excepts of this exciting performance! Students may attend one or both evenings according to their availability.

Participants will also be offered discounted tickets to attend a performance of Polar Force on Tuesday November 27. Places are limited and applying early to avoid disappointment is advised.

To apply, please fill in the online application form.

Online Masterclasses
www.soundsunheard.com/watch

Access international artists, professional experts and a wealth of musical knowledge from your home, school or practice room. These online sessions are presented by some of the world’s most exciting musicians, on topics including performance preparation, approaches to composition, extended techniques and more.

Sounds Unheard Experts presenting masterclasses in 2018 include vocalist, improviser and composer Carolyn Connors (AU), and Norwegian percussionist and improvisor Ingar Zach.


Past Activities: 2017 Program

Backstage Pass: Trading Routes
February 25, 12-2pm
Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank

In this explosive Speak Percussion collaboration, David Shea combines four virtuosic musicians with a grand video work.

Scored for electronics, percussion, guzheng, singing bowls and voice, this major work is fed by the rich cultural and spiritual history of the Silk Road and MoGau caves in Dunhuang, China. Sounds Unheard Members are invited to observe the final dress rehearsal for Trading Routes before its Melbourne premiere.


Performance Internship: Bell Curve
March 1-4
Northcote Town Hall, Northcote

A select number of Sounds Unheard Members will be invited to perform Bell Curve alongside Speak Percussion and a team of professional musicians as part of Darebin Arts’ Speakeasy program. Speakeasy pesents creative and challenging contemporary performances by emerging and established artists, and this Internship will allow young musicians to take part in a professional project with some of Melbourne’s leading percussionists. Please note that applications for this activity will be by invitation only.

The Federation Handbells are managed by Museum Victoria on behalf of Creative Victoria.


Backstage Pass: Bell Curve
March 2, 6-8pm
Northcote Town Hall, Northcote

Bell Curve is a new composition by Speak Percussion’s Artistic Director Eugene Ughetti, involving a sophisticated sonic choreography for Victoria’s Federation Hand Bells.

Twelve independent bell players are installed across a large performance space and are controlled by networked wireless click tracks in a mesmerising performance. Audiences are interspersed amongst the performers experiencing both the intimacy and complex exchange of rhythmic and spatial structures. Sounds Unheard Members are invited to observe Speak at work as the ensemble rehearses this entrancing piece.

The Federation Handbells are managed by Museum Victoria on behalf of Creative Victoria.

Artist Internship: Assembly Operation
May 3, 7-9pm
Speak Percussion Studio, Thornbury

Assembly Operation is a dark and humorous performance work intertwining percussion, theatrical staging and video art. Abstract narratives are driven by a complex music performance realised live on-stage by three percussionists.

In this Artist Internship Sounds Unheard Members will take part in an Assembly Operation creative development session, joining Speak Percussion artists for an in-depth discussion on the creation of new work and a workshop of musical ideas and techniques. 

Backstage Pass: Assembly Operation
May 13, 4-6pm
Speak Percussion Studio, Thornbury

Sounds Unheard Members are invited to observe Speak Percussion, performance maker Clare Britton and visual artist Cyrus Tang at work as they develop and rehearse Assembly Operation, a new work intertwining percussion, theatrical staging and video art. This Backstage Pass is an opportunity for young musicians to experience cross-art form collaboration, see professional artists at work and witness the creative process in action.

Students interested in this Internship should also consider the Assembly Operation Backstage Pass in Term 3, where they will see the results of this exciting cross-art collaboration. 


Sounds Unheard School Holiday Intensive
July 3-7, 2017
10am-4pm daily
Temperance Hall, South Melbourne

Over the course of one week in July, twelve Victorian secondary students will join Speak Percussion for the creative developments of two new works by internationally renowned composer Liza Lim and Speak’s 2017 Bespoke Composition Fellow Jeanette Little. The exceptional young musicians selected for this intensive will be invited into the world of professional musicians, exploring the roles of performer, composer, producer and director. Applications are invited from instrumentalists, composers and electronic artists.

The 2017 Sounds Unheard School Holiday Intensive will inspire the next generation of Australian musicians through a tailor-made program including workshops, rehearsals, discussions, and a performance. In this free program, the participants will be involved in every part of the creative process: experimenting with musical ideas, round-table discussions of the musical developments, rehearsals and performing in the first showing of new work.

Participants will be invited to return in December 2017 for the Sounds Unheard Performance Program and the world premiere of Little’s new work in a thrilling public performance.

Applications for the School Holiday Intensive must be received by June 7, 2017.

Backstage Pass: Assembly Operation
September 4, 4-6pm
Arts House, North Melbourne

Sounds Unheard Members are invited to a final rehearsal for Assembly Operation ahead of the world premiere of this new work. Participants will be the first in town to see Speak’s latest project, going behind-the-scenes as the ensemble prepares for the piece’s first public performances. Intertwining percussion, theatrical staging and video art, Assembly Operation is a dark and humorous performance work created in collaboration with performance maker Clare Britton and visual artist Cyrus Tang. 

Online Masterclasses with the Sounds Unheard Experts
Released throughout 2017
www.soundsunheard.com/watch

Access international artists, professional experts and a wealth of musical knowledge from your home, school or practice room. These online sessions are presented by some of the world’s most exciting musicians, on topics including performance preparation, approaches to composition, extended techniques and more.

Sounds Unheard Experts presenting masterclasses in 2017 include: Speak Percussion Artists, and violinist, violist and interdisciplinary artist Erkki Veltheim.


Past Activities: 2016 Program

Artist Internship: Assembly Operation
Session 1: June 7, 4-6pm
Session 2: June 9, 4-6pm
Speak Percussion Studio, Thornbury

The 2016 Sounds Unheard Artist Interns will work closely with Speak Percussion as the ensemble develops new works, gaining valuable insight into how artistic ideas are brought to life. The Artist Internships are perfect for Sounds Unheard Members interested in performance, composition, instrument design and the creative process.

The Assembly Operation Artist Internships will focus on an exploration of toys as instruments. Participants will have the chance to hear about the fascinating backstory to this new work, and to workshop ideas with Speak Percussion. Participants are encouraged to sign up for the Assembly Operation Backstage Pass, where they will have the opportunity to see Speak perform excerpts of this piece in a closed performance.

Please note that two sessions will be offered for the Assembly Operation Artist Internship. Participants are welcome to nominate their preferred session, or to attend both.

Artist Internship: Anicca
Session 1: March 30, 1-4pm
Session 2: June 29, 1-4pm
Session 3: September 21, 9:30-11:30am
Arts House, North Melbourne / Speak Percussion Studio, Thornbury

The 2016 Sounds Unheard Artist Interns will work closely with Speak Percussion as the ensemble develops new works, gaining valuable insight into how artistic ideas are brought to life. The Artist Internships are perfect for Sounds Unheard Members interested in performance, composition, instrument design and the creative process.

The Anicca Artist Internship will invite participants to follow the development of a new work for rotating percussion instrument, conceived by Speak Percussion’s Artistic Associate Matthias Schack-Arnott. Sounds Unheard Members will see how Anicca takes shape as Matthias discusses his instrument design, compositional process, and preparations for the November 2016 premiere.

Backstage Pass: Assembly Operation
June 17, 4-6pm
Speak Percussion Studio, Thornbury

Join Speak Percussion for the first showing of Assembly Operation. Part chamber music, foley, sound track and incidental music, this large-scale theatrical work explores mass produced objects through the eyes of children and Chinese culture. Set in alternate realities shaped by games and role play, this work combines intriguing hand-made Chinese animation, stylised children’s toys and a minimalistic set design to create an utterly unique performance. Treating the toys polyphonically, en masse, or employing specialised percussion and puppetry techniques, Assembly Operation will push the dexterity and skill of Speak’s percussionists to their limits.

School Holiday Intensive: Bell Curve
July 4-8 2016
10am-4pm
Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre

Join Speak Percussion for the creative development and first showing of a new work by Speak’s Artistic Director Eugene Ughetti. Bell Curve is an architectural intervention using hundreds of tuned hand bells set in motion by roaming performers and pre-recorded sound. New wireless technology developed by Nick Roux will enable a mass of performers, using networked speakers and personalised in-ear-monitors to move and perform precisely across vast spaces in one complex spatial composition.

Bell Curve will premiere at Arts House on December 3, 2016 as part of the Sounds Unheard Artist Program. Participants wishing to take part in the Artist Program are strongly encouraged to attend the School Holiday Intensive.

The Federation Handbells are managed by Museum Victoria on behalf of Creative Victoria.

Sounds Unheard Reporters (Radio Internships)
September 2016
PBS 106.7 FM, Collingwood

The 2016 Sounds Unheard Reporters will be featured in a radio broadcast and an Online Masterclass, interviewing Peter Knight (Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra), and Tamara Saulwick (performance-maker, actor and director) about their individual and collaborative creative practices. Over four weeks in September, the reporters will meet once a week for interview coaching and radio broadcast training with Owen McKern, Program Manager at PBS 106.7FM, in preparation for the recording. The final interview will be broadcast on PBS’ The Sound Barrier and shared on the Sounds Unheard website.

Backstage Pass: Fluorophone
Session 1: November 21, 4:30-6:30pm
Session 2: November 22, 4:30-6:30pm
The Substation, Newport

Fluorophone creates a kaleidoscopic sound world in which the central instruments radiate, flicker, glow and burn. Analogue and digital fluorescent lights, the naked flame, strobe lights and custom-built LED discs are combined with percussion to create a program in which the music and lighting design are one and the same. Fluorophone moves between noise, theatrical music and virtuosic instrumentalism, in a synesthetic display of light and sound. Join Speak Percussion as they rehearse for the Australian premiere of this project, featuring specially commissioned works by a prominent team of leading composers from Australia, Denmark and the UK.

Please note that two sessions will be offered for the Fluorophone Backstage Pass: the tech rehearsal (November 21) and the final dress rehearsal (November 22).

Backstage Pass: Anicca
November 1, 4:30-6:30pm
Arts House, North Melbourne

Come behind the scenes with Speak Percussion and be the first in town to see our next show. Sounds Unheard Members are invited to sit in on the dress rehearsal for Anicca, a new work exploring cycles and orbits through sound, conceived by Speak Percussion’s Artistic Associate Matthias Schack-Arnott. Featuring a custom-built circular, spinning percussion set-up, bell-like resonances, and a spatialised sound-design which will orbit sounds around the audience, this dynamic and virtuosic performance will showcase a unique musical vocabulary unlike anything you’ve heard before.

Artist Program: Bell Curve
November 29 – December 3 2
Arts House, North Melbourne

The Artist Program provides Sounds Unheard Members with the opportunity to experience professional music-making, explore contemporary and experimental music practice, and present a public performance. In 2016 Sounds Unheard participants are invited to take part in Bell Curve, an immersive and intimate performance work for twelve independent musicians playing the Federation Handbells. Through an exploration of complex networked temporal relationships, a massed sound event unfolds across the performance space, a world revealed between the attacks and beating patterns of tuned bell resonance.

Bell Curve will premiere at the Arts House Summertime Festival, a free festival celebrating art and community. The ensemble will give three performances of this new work by Eugene Ughetti, showcasing the Federation Handbells and new technology developed by sound artist Nick Roux specifically for this unique event.

The Federation Handbells are managed by Museum Victoria on behalf of Creative Victoria.

Online Masterclasses with the Sounds Unheard Experts
Released throughout 2016
www.soundsunheard.com/watch

Access international artists, professional experts and a wealth of musical knowledge on diverse topics tailored to you. These online sessions are made to be watched from home, school or practice room. Sounds Unheard Experts in 2016 include Speak Percussion Artists, Liza Lim (Professor of Composition, University of Huddersfield), Johannes Kreidler (Berlin-based composer and a leading figure in ‘conceptualism’), Gail Priest (sound artist, writer and curator), Peter Knight (Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra), and Tamara Saulwick (performance-maker, actor and director).

©2021 Speak Percussion

Log in with your credentials

Forgot your details?