BackStage Music invites you to embark on a musical journey like no other in 2024. As a haven for creative expression, this concert series promises to redefine classical music through innovative programming and collaborations.
“BackStage Music presents seven adventurous programs which stretch and shape the classical music experience through radical rethinking of how music is imagined and presented”
Human’s Got Talent – March 9, 2024: Woodburn Creatives, Redfern
Kickstarting the series, Solomon Frank curates a program exploring the convergences of queerness, pop culture, and music. “Human’s Got Talent” promises a blend of silliness and sacredness, featuring a new commission by Liz Yung Cheung and a performance by Shahmen Suku.
IMPOSTO – June 14, 2024: Woodburn Creatives, Redfern
Take a sonorous journey with “IMPOSTO,” where Anna Fraser, Jane Sheldon, Satsuki Odamura, and Laura Vaughan explore historical and cultural song lines. The program promises a wondrously provocative experience, featuring existing contemporary and specially curated works that traverse tidal waves of lyricism.
Trace – July 12, 2024: 107 Projects Redfern
Immerse yourself in “Trace,” a multi-sensory performance curated by Ria Andriani. Reflecting on different ways of making and experiencing music from the perspectives of people with disabilities, this program features composers and performers such as Georgia Scott, Jennifer Hankin, Tessa Gutierrez, and Lamorna Nightingale.
Hand Unmade – August 30, 2024: Woodburn Creatives, Redfern
Curated by Damian Barbeler, “Hand Unmade” celebrates the human hand as the mechanism for the soul. This genre-defying event combines musical performance with movement, stories, cooking, images, sound, and more, showcasing the hands of guests from diverse backgrounds.
Big Noters, Cool Becoming Warm – September 18, 2024: Woodburn Creatives, Redfern
Experience the characteristic Dharawal season Ngoonungi with “Big Noters.” Celebrating Cool Becoming Warm, the program features NSW First Nations Musicians in a night of soaring music, storytelling, and cultural knowledge, heralding the coming of bats and the opening of Waratahs.
Limitless – October 19, 2024:
Embark on an electro-acoustic exploration of The Lock Up in Newcastle with “Limitless.” Ekstasis Ensemble collaborates with electronic artists, delving into the limits of physical walls and internal beliefs, drawing inspiration from texts written by those who have lived in confinement.
Stories of Water and Earth – December 5, 2024: Woodburn Creatives, Redfern
Darwin’s Arafura Music Collective and Sydney’s Ensemble Offspring collaborate for the first time. Special guests Nardi Simpson and Melanie Mununggurr bring a rich collision of cultures, instrumental chamber music, beat poetry, and dreaming stories. Experience an interactive performance by Nardi Simpson, sharing Yuwaalaraay women’s creative practices, and a new commission by Melanie Mununggurr exploring Yolngu identity, motherhood, neurodiversity, and connections to land and culture.
BackStage Music’s 2024 concert series is not just a collection of performances; it’s a celebration of creativity, diversity, and boundary-expanding artistry. Mark your calendars, book your tickets, and prepare to be surprised and delighted by the magic of music at its most imaginative!
