Guest soloist, Jessica Aszodi (soprano), performs a new, theatrical trio by Anahita Abbasi – Incipio, bibo. Photo by Zan Wimberley, courtesy of Carriageworks.
“In seeking out new voices, Ensemble Offspring started with dreams and opened up the world.” Peter MacCallum, SMH
“Ensemble Offspring performed superbly, playing the game with Aszodi with observable watchfulness between members, whether as a trio or, wonderful to witness, a sizeable team admirably coached by Roland Peelman.” Keith Gallasch, RealTime
Dreams, fairytales and fate were the inspiration behind Who Dreamed It? On Saturday 23 September, we partnered with Sydney venue, Carriageworks, to present five important works from around the globe, including three world premieres. This suite of surprising and beguiling works featured an expanded line-up of twelve Ensemble Offspring musicians, along with special guest, US-based Australian soprano, Jessica Aszodi.
Read more
Keith Gallasch’s review in RealTime – Ensemble Offspring: Down the rabbit hole
Peter MacCallum’s review in SMH – Ensemble Offspring review: Conjuring up a dream world
Harriet Cunningham’s review – Tea Time Dreaming
Keith Gallasch for RealTime – Ensemble Offspring: Lisa Illean & the porous voice
Anni Heino for Resonate – Lisa Illean and Cantor: Poetry, pure sounds and degrees of subtlety
Program notes and biographies [PDF]
With a strong focus on theatricality and lighting by Fausto Brusamolino, get a taste of Who Dreamed It? in pictures.
Lamorna Nightingale, Claire Edwardes and Jason Noble performing Jennifer Walshe’s theatrical work, Everything you own has been taken to a depot somewhere. Photo by Zan Wimberley, courtesy of Carriageworks.
An enlarged Ensemble Offspring for the world premiere of Half-Open Beings, by Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh. Photo by Zan Wimberley, courtesy of Carriageworks.
“Instruments make tentative bonds between each other, which melt into fuzz as another pitch, another timbre is added, like the elusive dream which flashes across your consciousness then evaporates, leaving only a vague sense of a memory of a feeling.” Harriet Cunningham
Roland Peelman (conductor), with Kirsty McCahon (double bass). Photo by Zan Wimberley, courtesy of Carriageworks.
Jason Noble (clarinet), Claire Edwardes (percussion) and Jessica Aszodi (soprano), in the world premiere of Incipio, bibo. Photo by Zan Wimberley, courtesy of Carriageworks.
“This is dizzyingly sophisticated reverie, using multilayered performance gestures, from words to notes to melodies to noises, brilliantly performed.” Harriet Cunningham
In rehearsal: a dusky landscape for Lisa Illean’s new work, Cantor (after Willa Cather). Photo by Heidrun Lohr.
“The calm soprano part explores the quiet certainties of the inner world against a background of loneliness and delicate beauty. Peter MacCallum, SMH
In rehearsal: Jessica Aszodi (soprano) featured with an expanded Ensemble Offspring, in Unsuk Chin’s dramatic work, Akrotichon Wortspiel. Photo by Heidrun Lohr.
“…when you play these works with such persuasive articulacy, you can get away with pretty much anything.” Harriet Cunningham
Ensemble Offspring thanks the generous donors to our Noisy Egg Creation Fund for supporting the commission of Anahita Abbasi, and Kim Williams for supporting the commission of Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh.
Thanks to the APRA AMCOS Art Music Fund for the generous support of Cantor, by Lisa Illean, and the City of Sydney for supporting the production of Who Dreamed It?
