Program - Composition Graduation Concert 2023

NOV

23

IAN HANGER RECITAL HALL - 6:30PM

COMPOSITION GRADUATION CONCERT Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University

Programme design by Imogen Ferdinando

CONTENTS: Acknowledgement of Country Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University acknowledges the people who are the traditional custodians of the land, the Yuggera and Turrbal peoples, and pays respect to the Elders, past and present, and extends that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Session I: The Wind Whispers and Wakes ~ Chen Waldeinsamkeit ~ Ison The Final Hour ~ Tate Music from ‘Chu Chu and Chara’ ~ Thiele A Night in Kanjuruhan - Budi Theomarga ~ Interval ~ Session II: Kustlied ~ Gill A Collection of Works for Solo Cello & Piano ~ Ferdinando A Siren’s Lure ~ Devenish Meadows ~ Dekker Introduction music ‘Salmon Sushi’ by Radithya Budi Theomarga Performers: Alto: Sergei Prosvirnov Tenor: Beau Thompson Bari: Oscar Gill Trumpet: Michael Ufer Guitar: Joel Sanchez-Carn Bass: Kadin Jamal Piano: Radithya Budi Theomarga Drums: Tosh Kachad

ZI HUI CHEN About the Composer: Zi Hui Chen is a Chinese-Malaysian composer, performer, and aspiring educator. Her drive to explore the vastness of composition has led her into the musical realms of contemporary classical, film music, pop, and experimental. As she prepares for her journey into music education, she intends to continue expanding her horizons. Zi Hui has had pieces performed by various musicians and ensembles within the Conservatorium and has undertaken multiple collaborations with candidates of the Griffith Film School. She is also an active contributor to the local music scene drumming for Kat Flowers and Spider.

When she’s not preparing for her next gig, Zi Hui can be found enjoying local artistic talent in the city or playing Pokemon games at home.

THE WIND WHISPERS AND WAKES

by Zi Hui Chen

It's a cold, cloudy night in July. You’re alone but the wind attempts to convince you otherwise. The breeze passes through everything in its path, as if those objects were roused by it.

Electric Guitar: Nara Singh-Derewa Percussion and Electronics: Zi Hui Chen

LUKA ISON About the Composer:

Luka Ison is a Meanjin / Brisbane-based composer, music producer, multi-instrumentalist and human being born in 2002. He has developed a wide range of influence present in his music, from 20th century classical to jazz, rock, avant-garde and electronic music. His classical work encompasses impressionistic tendencies blended with aleatoric and spectralist textures reminiscent of electronic music. Alongside this, his electronic alias Rudylis delves into experimental electronic stylings, from maximalist generative sprawls to minimalist, lo-fi sample-based soundscapes influenced by musique concrète, plunderphonics and instrumental hip hop.

WALDEINSAMKEIT

by Luka Ison

'Waldeinsamkeit' is a German word which translates to “the feeling of being alone in the woods”. It's the sensation that envelops you when you're at your utmost tranquility, undisturbed or surrounded by the beauty of nature. You find yourself in a genuinely meditative state, harmoniously connected with the world. This Pure Data-based composition was originally performed at the KEPK drone music festival in late October, and features the use of realtime programmed synthesis to create beatless, drifting ambient textures reminiscent of electronic producers Autechre, Tim Hecker and the Austrianbased Fennesz, the latter of which was the inspiration for the title.

Electronics: Luka Ison

ISABELLA TATE About the Composer: Isabella Tate is a Brisbane-based composer, whose passion for music began at the age of seven when she began learning the violin. Her love for music quickly grew as she picked up the flute and later piano. Throughout her studies, Isabella has started to discover her own personal style of music. She loves writing pieces that have stories or meaning behind them and enjoys composing for chamber ensembles. Isabella has had several of her compositions premiered by fellow musicians in concerts at the Conservatorium. She has also scored a couple of short films for the Swinburne University of Technology and the Griffith Film School. Recently, she won the title of 'finalist' in the advancing band category of the 2023 Australian Women's Wind band Composition Award.

THE FINAL HOUR

by Isabella Tate

The Final Hour depicts a battle between two opposing forces. The first section of the piece paints the idea of both sides preparing to attack.

The middle sections of the piece are the battle itself with fast quaver motifs and a broadening sound. The piece ends with a slower legato section – representing the loss and damage in the aftermath.

Flute: Braden Simm Soprano Saxophone: Ryan Taylor Clarinet: Thom Fletcher French Horn: Isabelle Raiz-Scanlon Bassoon: Hayden Mears

BETHANY THIELE About the Composer:

Bethany is a Meanjin/Brisbane-based musician that has been composing since she was small. She has worked on solo and chamber works here at the Conservatorium, as well as scoring short films in collaboration with the Griffith Film School. During her studies, Bethany has discovered she thoroughly enjoys working with electronic instruments and learning about sound engineering. Bethany hopes to pursue a career in arts-health (such as music therapy), as her greatest fulfillment comes from exploring the power of music in healthcare and human services settings.

MUSIC FROM ‘CHU CHU AND CHARA’

by Bethany Thiele

I am part of a start-up studio working on their first video game 'Chu Chu and Chara'. I have been working on the music for it this year. Have a listen!

Music by Bethany Thiele

RADITHYA BUDI THEOMARGA About the Composer:

Radithya Budi Theomarga is an Indonesian composer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator, who has been passionate in music since he was 6. Starting off as a drummer and pianist, he eventually found his passion to composing after hearing a Hans Zimmer cue at 15. The passion then brought him to study at Queensland Conservatorium, where he was opened to greater depths of composition and music through meeting many talented creatives and mentors. Throughout his degree, he had the opportunity to work with great ensembles such as Queensland Conservatorium Wind Orchestra, Young Conservatorium, and Riverside Guitar Ensemble. In the future, he is looking forward to work as a conductor and film composer, while while continuing to be involved in composing art music, teaching, and playing jazz piano.

A NIGHT IN KANJURUHAN

by Radithya Budi Theomarga "Football is always an inclusive sport, a platform of peace, and no one should feel frightened in supporting their favourite team." Valentino Simanjuntak.

In remembrance of the tragic events that unfolded at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Indonesia, where 135 lives were lost and over 600 were injured, “A Night in Kanjuruhan (2023)” stands as my musical tribute to the tragedy. This composition delves into the elements that led to the tragedy. It commences with the evocation of a dense fog, depicted through gentle strings and winds introducing subtle leitmotifs. The cello introduces the complete leitmotif, and the narrative unfolds into sections of piano solos and extended vocal lines. Pizzicato strings and delicate winds mirror the sensation of raindrops, and the bass clarinet adds an active layer. The composition revisits the central theme, building toward an intense thunderstorm and ultimately, the moment of the tragedy. The final section captures the tense confrontation between football fans and the police. The crescendo symbolizes the heart-wrenching instant when a tear gas bomb was fired into the stands. Through this piece, I am honoring the lives lost and emphasizing the importance of peace and inclusivity in the world of football.

Flute & Piccolo: Keisha Neale Oboe: Liam Robinson Clarinet: Hinata Nishimura Bassoon: Mairin Thompson Bass Clarinet: Hamish Cassidy Violin 1: Rhys Williams Violin 2: Imogen Revill Viola: Harriet Dykes Cello: Matthew Stuart-Street Double Bass: Cooper Le Brocq

Piano: Julia Zhu Soprano: Bethany Thiele Alto: Emma Percival Tenor: Jonathan Vickers Bass: Oscar Gill Conductor: Radithya Budi Theomarga

OSCAR GILL About the Composer:

Oscar Gill is a NSW-born, Brisbane-based lover of music and all things art, and has been musicking as long as he has been talking; since around the age of 4. Oscar's ever-developing and expanding passion for music finally brought him to the Conservatorium, where he would discover whole other sides of music he could have never imagined it had. Though he intends to pursue career paths apart from music to keep his passion untainted, Oscar will continue to enjoy and engage with music in his spare time, continuing to explore its boundaryless landscapes.

KUSTLIED

by Oscar Gill

Kustlied (2022) is a whirlwind homage to the wondrous beauty of the Australian coast; specifically, my old hometown of Tura Beach, NSW. The dutch title, translated as "Coastal Song", is a nod to the piece's initial inspiration, Dutch composer Louis Andriessen. I was inspired by the blatant angularity of his music, and began experimenting with different patterns of perfect fifths. As the piece progressed, I started seeking to emulate the kinds of performances I had heard at local music festivals, namely the Four Winds Festival; music I found to be the most evocative of Australia in its beauty. Thus, after some weeks of experimentation, on and off over the course of roughly a year, Kustlied in its current state was completed. Now, I bring the piece to you with the help of seven incredible musicians and an immersive montage of the natural wonder and splendour of my hometown. I hope to not only communicate the beauty of the Australian coast, but bring you there, that you would not just take my word for it, but experience it for yourself.

Sopranos: Philomena Hoger, Zoe Catchpoole, Erin Power Violins: Imogen Revill, Yvonne Spina, Liam Holbrook Violoncello: Ai Hasegawa Piano & Vocals: Oscar Gill

KUSTLIED POEM

by Oscar Gill Down here by the coastline, Where land meets the sea, Endless crystal waters Ripple constantly.

Beaches of sand, Stretching for miles; Shores of great rocks Everywhere else.

Up behind the coastline, Life diverse abounds.

Various flora ‘nd fauna Everywhere surrounds; Vast arboreal forests Mystify the ground.

Rustles, leaves, and scurrying things, The cries of a bird on the wing; All nature in synergy sings Unsearchable songs of the coast.

Ghosts in the woods, Birds in the sky, Art in the plants; Canopy wide, Towering high.

Far above the coastline, Mirror’d blue expanse, Cov’ring up the cosmos, Where bright star clouds glitter up above.

Blue, pink, gold, and every bright hue in between, The distant horizon the seam Between oceans above and below.

Lo and behold, Symmetry shows Beauty unique, Down by the coastline, coastline, coastline…

IMOGEN FERDINANDO About the Composer:

Imogen Ferdinando is a Sri-Lankan Australian composer, cellist and educator based in Meanjin/Brisbane Australia.

Her music can be described as contemporary classical, taking inspiration from 20th century minimalism and recontextualising it’s characteristics through solo, chamber, orchestral and multimedia works, having premiered works with the Riverside Guitar Ensemble, Queensland Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, and collaborated with the Griffith Film School. Imogen’s musical journey began on the cello and piano, and later at 15 discovered her love for composing. Now completing her final year of her Bachelor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium, Imogen wants to work as a composer for concert, film, dance and popular music, while continuing her love for performing and teaching music.

A COLLECTION OF WORKS FOR SOLO CELLO & PIANO

by Imogen Ferdinando ~Amor de por Vida~ Inspired by Brazilian guitar music, ‘Amor de por Vida’ translates to ‘Love for Life’, a love for all the things that bring one joy such as dancing, making music and spending time with loved ones. It is a love for the things that make life worth living in between all the hard work. This piece was originally written for and premiered by the Riverside Guitar Ensemble, and I have arranged it for solo cello and piano for tonight’s occasion.

~Autumn Leaves~ ‘Autumn Leaves’ explores the complex season that is Autumn, through minimalist piano and solo cello. It is a season of such contrast between light and dark, warm and cool, dry and damp, which is expressed through the timbres and colours of the instruments.

Cello: Dr. György Deri Piano: Julia Zhu

SHELBY DEVENISH About the Composer:

Shelby Devenish is a Brisbane based composer and musician who found her passion for music at a young age and since then has been named the winner of the 2022 Australian Women’s Wind Band Composition Award. She started her musical journey as a vocalist and pianist, and later found her enthusiasm for composition, inspired by artists such as Ólafur Arnolds and Ludovico Einaudi.

Guided by Dr. Nicole Murphy, Shelby has premiered new works with the Riverside Guitar Ensemble, the Queensland Wind Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and has collaborated with the Griffith Film School. Next year she will be continuing her studies at the Queensland Conservatorium with a year in music research to complete a Bachelor of Music (Honours) whilst she remains active in the composition world.

A SIREN'S LURE

by Shelby Devenish

'A Siren's Lure' was inspired by the concept of the mythological beings who would use their captivating Siren Songs to deceive sailors and lure them into dangerous waters. This work shows the enchanting, mystical nature of a Siren whilst foreshadowing the dangerous nature of these beings.

Lyrics: The Siren calls for me, She sings, she pleads, 'Find me! Free me!

Please,' she sings, Enchanting me.

Her voice like silk, Her song of hope, Alluring.

Find me and join me, She sings, 'come and find me, And join me forever.'

Voice and Piano: Shelby Devenish

INGE DEKKER About the Composer:

Inge Dekker is a Brisbane-based composer and aspiring conductor. Her musical journey started with learning the piano at age 6, singing enthusiastically in choirs for as long as she can remember and then picking up the French horn at age 10. She started composing in her final year of school, being drawn to the way composers could tell vivid stories through music. She now writes music to achieve this experience for the listener. Growing up playing horn in a range of ensembles and singing in choirs, she developed versatile musical skills to write for many ensembles. This lead to having her Wind Orchestra piece, Sounds of a Rising Sun, being performed by the Queensland Conservatorium Wind Orchestra and receiving a Special Mention Award in the Australian Women’s Wind Band competition and conducting her choral piece Lazarus in St Johns Cathedral. In the coming years Inge will develop her skills as a conductor and write more programmatic educational choral and orchestral works having them performed by community ensembles and schools.

MEADOWS

by Inge Dekker I: Magic Meadow II: Burrows III: Meadow at Moonlight Meadows reflects different animals, landscapes and times in a meadow. The first movement was inspired by Barbie’s Fairytopia, depicting the fantastical “Magic Meadow,” filled with fairies. The contrasting second movement, Burrows, portrays small animals in a meadow who live in burrows, such as rabbits. The movement then progresses to a more haunting atmosphere, depicting rattlesnakes sneaking into the burrows and hunting the rabbits. Meadow at Moonlight first presents the landscape of a meadow under stars. Then a foreboding atmosphere is built, depicting owls and then wolves preparing to hunt. The contrasting joyful waltz depicts the graceful trotting of deer, but is suddenly interrupted by the pack of wolves. The piece continues to build in intensity, depicting the wolves chasing the deer, then finally ending with the wolves’ victory.

Violin I: Rhys Williams, Amira Ryan Violin II: Jonathan Kositsin, Imogen Revill Viola: Edmund Mantelli, Rosie Breedt Cello: Ben Marshall Double bass: Cooper Le Brocq Flute: Aaryn Wong Oboe: Liam Robinson Clarinet: Hinata Nishimura Bassoon: Jake Busby

Horns: Isabelle Raiz-Scanlon, Hannah Waterfall Trumpet: Cooper Williams Trombone: Hannah Thomson Percussion: Quinn Ramsey, Zi Hui Chen Conducted by Inge Dekker