ENSEMBLE BIOGRAPHIES

Flautist Belinda Woods is immersed in the Melbourne Improvised music scene. Performing regularly with ensembles such as Bohjass, Meter Maid and the Sunwrae Ensemble. Belinda explores the use of texture and contour within her playing to paint scenes of rich complexity, focusing on the acoustic nature of her instrument. Currently a Doctor of Music student at the VCA, Belinda extends her abilities towards the composed music of the 20^th and 21^st centuries, the structure and innovation of which she draws into her own improvising and composition. Artistic director of the ” Make It Up Club” Improvised music series from 1993 – 2007 Belinda has played a major role in supporting and enhancing the development of the local music scene. Her passion for music that is boundless, challenging and left of centre keeps her explorations alive, her desires to create a form of music that is inspirational and exciting, building on the energy of creator and listener alike, transcending the unattainable. This is the force that oils the machine!

TIMOTHY PHILLIPS: CONDUCTOR / PERCUSSION

Percussionist / Conductor Timothy Phillips holds degrees from the Canberra School of Music and the Sate University of Music in Karlsruhe, Germany studying with Daryl Pratt and Professor Isao Nakamura respectively. As a performer Timothy appears with orchestras, chamber ensembles and in solo shows and he has also created original music for DVA (mixed ability) Theatre, Ignition (NMIT) Theatre and Westside Circus. As a conductor Timothy is the founder of the Arcko Symphonic Project, which launched in 2008, he has also conducted premieres for Kate Neal, Dianne Peters and Daniel Salecich and has appeared at MIAF and on recordings for Move records.

ADAM SIMMONS: SAXOPHONES / CLARINETS / FLUTES / SHAKUHACHI

www.adamsimmons.com

Adam is a composer and sought after instrumentalist, involved across many different scenes within Melbourne and beyond, performing contemporary jazz, punk, afro-beat, new music, traditional Japanese Honkyo-Ku, funk and free noise/improv. In 2004, Adam received a Special Award from the Freedman Foundation, facilitating a period of work and study in New York, Germany and Poland. As part of the 2006 Melbourne Fringe Festival, a special Retrospective of Adam's work was held - featuring over 200 musicians in 40 configurations over three weeks. Current ensembles include: Adam Simmons Toy Band, Adam Simmons Quartet, New Blood, Embers, bucketrider, Steve Purcell’sPearly Shells, Harrow, Big Fela, Collider and the Bennetts Lane Big Band. Other artists that Adam has worked with include: Ernest Ranglin, Nigel Kennedy, Odean Pope, The Mavis's, You Am I, KK Null, Ursel Schlicht, Ned Rothenberg, Jacek Kochan, CW Stoneking andSpontaneous Human Combustion.

KAREN HEATH: CLARINETS

www.karen-heath.com

Karen received her Masters degree in Music Performance (clarinet) in 2005 from Monash University studying under Peter Handsworth and Robert Schubert. Her research area led her to Europe where she received lessons from Wolfgang Meyer and Suzanne Stephens. Directly after completing her final thesis, Karen performed In Freundschaft at the annual Stockhausen Course in Kuerten, Germany, working with Stockhausen in rehearsal and in performance and won 2nd prize that year. Returning in 2007, Karen performed again at the Stockhausen Course, playing the heavily choreographed clarinet solo Der Kleine Harlekin, for which she won another prize.

Karen has worked with The Libra Ensemble, Sunwrae Ensemble, The Grand Silent System, composer James Hullick, The Phonos Project, Arcko Symphonic Project, has performed several times at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival as well as the International Arts Festival, guest performed for Folk Singer-Songwriter Lior for his 2nd album and in concert, recorded for David MacDonald (The Waifs) for his solo debut record, and has recorded and performed for filmscore and numerous other freelance projects. In 2008, Karen performed a piece with Arcko Symphonic Project entitled Learning to Howl, which was nominated for an APRA award for Best Performance of an Australian Classical Composition in 2009. Also a composer, she was awarded 'Best Music Prize' in 2006 at The Melbourne Fringe Festival and has had commissioned pieces performed in Montreal, Edinburgh, Tokyo and Reykjavik. She performs regularly with Melbourne Progressive Rock band Ennis Tola, who received accolades all over the world after their release of the debut album, including a feature track on 'Classic Rock Presents Prog' magazine (UK) and reviews from some of the most respected music magazines in this field.

MARY DOUMANY: HARP

www.marydoumany.com

Mary Doumany is a virtuoso harpist, who also composes and sings her own material. Her voice has an intimacy and fluidity that seem effortless and there is a unique freedom to her interpretations.

She is one of a new breed of Australian cross genre artists, who incorporate influences from many styles and traditions to create their music. This is very much in evidence on her new album of original solo harp works, entitled ‘Elemental’. Julie Raines, harpist with the MSO describes it as ‘unusually beautiful, superbly written, displaying Mary Doumany’s mastery of interesting special effects, and her true insight and understanding of the harp’s character.’

Passionate about exploring and demonstrating the versatility of the harp, Mary says that improvisation is an essential element of her compositions: ‘I love the excitement of improvisation, especially when playing solo. It gives you the freedom to respond to the moment and the audience.'

PETER NEVILLE: PERCUSSION

www.speakpercussion.com/peter-neville

Peter Neville is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts and was appointed Head Of Percussion there in 2000. Whilst he works across the range of musical styles he has a particular commitment to new music. As the percussionist of the ELISION Ensemble for twenty-three years, Peter has been involved with practically all their concerts, compact discs, and international tours. Works including Chris Dench's Driftglass, for percussion and ensemble and Richard Barrett's abglanzbeladen- auseinandergeschreiben, have been written for and premiered by him. Peter is also a member of groups including Jouissance, the David Chesworth Ensemble, The Raga Dolls Salon Orchestra and SPEAK Percussion and he has recorded and toured internationally with each of them.

His orchestral work has included tours to Europe with the Australian Youth Orchestra and Japan with the Melbourne Symphony. With that orchestra he was also part of the Australian premiere of Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony, in the presence of the composer, and he took part in their Australian tour with Elton John. He has performed in numerous musicals, including West Side Story, Cats and Company and in three Australian tours of the Broadway version of The Pirates of Penzance. He toured Australia as musical director of Tap Dogs. Other theatrical tours have included the Australia/China tour of Playbox Theatre’s Cho-Cho-San, and Richard the Third with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Within dance orchestras he has supported performances of the Bolshoi Ballet, the Russian State Ballet, the Nureyev Farewell Tour and the Netherlands Dance Theatre. With HumanVeins Dance Theatre he took part in the Australian premieres of Iannis Xenakis' Oresteia, and was guest drummer with the Balanescu Quartet in their three Australian seasons of Possessed with the Meryl Tankard Australian Dance Theatre. Peter Neville appears on CD recordings ranging from pop albums by Peter Andre and Deborah Conway to the experimental industrial album “New Maps of Hell” by sound artist Paul Schutze.

In March 2006 Peter was Creative Director for the Commonwealth Games International Youth Masterclass In Percussion.

ANDREA KEEBLE: VIOLIN

www.andreakeeble.com

Andrea Keeble is a Melbourne violinist devoted to performing new Australian music as well as a composer and educator. Andrea is a member of Aria nominated quintet Cosmo Cosmolino, for which she composes, and performs regularly with The David Chesworth Ensemble, Cam Butler & the Shadows of Love Orchestra and The Black Arm Band. Recent performances include Silo String Quartet Carnegie Hall, USA, 2008, The David Chesworth Ensemble “Arenes de Montmatre” Paris and “The Big Chill Festival” UK 2007, Aphids’ “Skin Quartet” by David Young 2005 and national tours with The Black Arm Band “murundak” 2008 and My Friend the Chocolate Cake 2005. Recording artists/performers/composers include The Brodsky Quartet (UK), Aphids, David Chisholm,Francois Tetaz, Mick Harvey, David Bridie and The John Butler Trio. Her recording collaboration, Stroll was finalist in the “International Songwriting Competition” USA 2006. Andrea has worked on the “Violin Alive” DVD Series, in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Education Outreach programs, lectured in String Teaching at the University of Melbourne and is presently a Music Faculty staff member at Monash University as well as an AMEB examiner. She is currently recording her own solo CD “Teeter” of original compositions.

JASON BUNN: VIOLA

Jason Bunn has been active in the musical life of Melbourne for many years. His violist for BOLT. He currently works full time with Orchestra Victoria, and performs with a range of other ensembles on a regular basis. In 2001 and 2002 Jason toured internationally with "The Theft of Sita", by Nigel Jamieson and Paul Grabowsky, which involved playing with a Balinese Gammelan to accompany a shadow puppet show.

Jason has been a performer and supporter of Aphids since its inception, having participated in nearly every Aphids event since 1994. He has also been involved in a number of productions with Chamber Made Opera and Contemporary Music Events.

CAERWEN MARTIN: CELLO

www.caerwenmartin.com.au

Martin has been trained as a cellist both locally and abroad, and performs in a wide variety of groups from experimental to pop, jazz, contemporary and classical. She has written music for film, art films Artesian and Reception and a feature Lost and Found (Apra Nominated). She writes string arrangements for bands like Dan Brodie, Kram, Millionaire Souls, Lou Bennett and the Sweet Cheeks, Naked Raven, 67Special, Creech and Germany's Colourblind. She has toured extensively through Europe, the Balkans, Australia, South Africa and America with the David Chesworth ensemble, Geminiani Orchestra, Naked Raven, Skin String Quartet and Aphids. Currently Martin runs the Silo String Quartet - a contemporary/jazz string quartet that regularly performs new works by established and emerging composers.

ANITA HUSTAS: DOUBLE BASS

www.anitahustas.com

Originally trained in Perth and Paris as an orchestral and solo double bassist, she has, since settling in Melbourne in 1996, become an important part of the Melbourne creative music scene. Her diverse experience includes touring Europe as principal bassist with Australian Youth Orchestra, recording in New York City with jazz/experimental trumpet Nate Wooley, performing on ABCTV's Spicks and Specks with Adam Simmons Toy Band, touring China with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and curating the La Mama Musica concert series from 2007 to 2009. She has been a member of staff at the Victorian College of the Arts since 2005.

Hustas has been the recipient of Arts Victoria and Australia Council funding for recording, touring and concert presentation. She has performed and recorded with an array of Australia's finest musicians including the Black Arm Band, Melbourne, Adelaide and West Australian Symphony Orchestras, David Tolley, Duré Dara, Ren Walters, Greg Arnold, Sandy Evans, Michael Keiran Harvey, BOLT Ensemble, Joe Talia, Nick Tsiavos, Adrain Sherriff, Peter Knight, Zulya, Jex Saarelaht, Andrea Keller, Bob Sedergreen, Paul Grabowsky, Tony Gould, as well as international touring artists including Sheila Jordan (USA), Barrie Webb (UK), Kenny Drew Jr (USA) Ursel Schlicht (USA) The Won family (Korea). She has toured throughout Australia, the South Pacific, Asia and Europe, performed on Mikrokosmos an ARIA award winning album and recorded on innumerable film and television soundtracks.

Anita's ensemble 'Anemone' were awarded the inaugural Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival Atlantis Recording Prize in 2007, and while studying for a Masters in Music degree at the Victorian College of the Arts she was awarded the Marion Isabel Thomas prize. In 2009 her acclaimed duo project with dancer Alice Cummins was awarded the Dancehouse 'Earobics' residency fellowship. In 2009 Hustas was commissioned to create the installation 'Rat' for Liquid Architecture's 'Constellation' project. This new work was premiered in July 2010.

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