What do the performers, composers and friends of Ensemble Offspring listen to in their downtime?
Every Friday up until our 25th birthday on the 9th September 2020, we will be answering that question by sharing a playlist from our extended EO family. Thus far we have heard some intriguing collections by Bree van Reyk, Freya Schack-Arnott and Zubin Kanga, with many more to come.
Each playlist is accompanied by a brief program note by its curator, explaining their connection to the songs and why they are meaningful to their memories of Ensemble Offspring. With a broad mix of pop, electro, jazz, hiphop, world music and of course, new classical, we’re sure you’ll uncover some new tunes and enjoy re-discovering old favourites too!
LISTEN NOW!
#1 Bree’s EO 25th Birthday Playlist
“With EO I’ve played music by and with dear friends, as well my teenage alt-rock heroes Mike Patton & Lee Ranaldo. I’ve performed my own music, alongside much-more-difficult Ligeti. Hence, the theme of this playlist is commonalities, and that interesting music is everywhere, in every form.”
#2 Freya’s EO 25th Birthday Playlist
“Here are some examples of the music I have found myself listening to in isolation; music that invites reflection, or music that one can relax to. There are also a few local artists in the mix, which I found has been a nice way to stay connected to our musical community.”
#3 Zubin’s EO 25th Birthday Playlist
“This playlist looks back through many years of memories with Ensemble Offspring. It features composers Ensemble Offspring has worked with, solo projects by some of the core members (me, Claire, Lamorna and Jason), as well as musicians who have played a major role in past performances.”
#4 Lamorna’s EO 25th Birthday Playlist
“Just wanted to share some music that I’d enjoy listening to through headphones. It’s generally on the gentle side. Some performances by EO, some from my recent album, Why Patterns that we performed on tour in Northern Territory and a few other pieces that I love by Murail and Saariaho. Enjoy!”
#5 Jim’s EO 25th Birthday Playlist
“This is a special collection of songs to mark EO’s big anniversary. My playlist is a portrait of the group’s main figures throughout its existence, as well as a tip of the hat to the composers whose work has been formative on their practice.”
#6 Will’s EO 25th Birthday Playlist
“The theme of this playlist is “Mosaic”, as it is represents a cobbling-together of many of the songs and pieces that have influenced my growth and development as a musician throughout the the entirety of my life. I’ve chosen these regardless of genre, and have attempted as well as I can to abridge the list- a challenge indeed!”
#7 Jason’s EO 25th Birthday Playlist
“I was always drawn to pivotal chamber works of the 20th century in my undergraduate studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Fabulous teachers such as Richard Toop and Peter Jenkin encouraged this exploration and eventually led to me joining Ensemble Offspring in the early 2000’s. Since then, being a core player has involved performing international works, hundreds of Australian commissions, but also a willingness to step outside the classical arena and create withmusicians from other fields.My playlist reflects this history, whilst celebrating the music of colleagues and important relationships with composers such as former artistic director Damien Ricketson.”
#8 Véronique’s EO 25th Birthday Playlist
“ACOUSTICA to ELECTRONICA: Showcasing the broad spectrum of sounds that inspire me; obviously featuring the violin, as well as electronic art music, indigenous bands and plenty of avant-garde pop by some of my favourite artists.”
#9 Claire’s EO 25th Birthday Playlist
“I’ve combined a handful of my favourite EO memories including Ligeti, Reich and Grisey, with awesome singer-songwriters I’m listening to right now. There’s new electronica, inspiring First Nations artists, my favourite piano solo by Schubert and a 25th party vibe thanks to The Cat Empire! Enjoy.”