Online Masterclass 20: Erkki Veltheim on Improvising with Pitch and Rhythm

Erkki Veltheim is an Australian composer, improviser, performer and interdisciplinary artist. He has performed with ensembles such as the Australian Art Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Elision and Ensemble Modern, has featured as a soloist with the London Sinfonietta and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and as an improviser has worked with Australia’s leading practitioners, including Anthony Pateras, John Rodgers, Jon Rose, Scott Tinkler and Tony Buck.

In the final part of his masterclass series for Sounds Unheard, ‘Composing in the Moment: An Introduction to Improvisation’, Erkki discusses different methods of using pitch and rhythm in your improvisations. We touch on all-interval chords, polyrhythms and metric modulations, and Erkki suggests a variety of exercises you can work on at home to develop your toolbox of improvisation skills. Happy practicing!