Former Ormiston Primary and Cleveland High school student Liam Flenady will perform for the first time on the Redland Performing Arts Centre stage presenting Hauntology.
His piece played by the Kupka’s Piano ensemble is the first written by Flenady, now 30, after completing his PhD on musical composition.
“The ideas developed in my PhD have worked their way into the piece. There are a lot of different melodic ideas that have their own independence. This explores the extremes of difference, not only of the harmonic tension and resolution but of the different structural nuances of different instruments,” he said.
Flenady said he was interested in musical composition co-existing with various ideas.
“For example, I use the reverb of the guitar and the acoustic that is in front of you. Having two ideas at the same time in different spaces interests me. There can be both simple and complex ideas,” he said.
“Kupka’s Piano intentionally explores limits and pushes boundaries.”
Flenady said he was also excited to perform as an alumni student to the area in which he grew up and “put on a concert of strange music”.
“RPAC was built while I was growing up. I love the Redlands. It’s a magical place and relevant to my work. I remember staying here for a few months when I returned from time in Brussels. I was in the Redlands with the mudflats and the birdlife, but at the same time still felt connected to the ecology and the sounds of Brussels. I try to communicate this feeling of being in both worlds in my music. Doing the PhD gave me that excuse to make and think about music for three-and-a-half years,” he said.
Kupka’s Piano will also feature Australian and international chamber works from the last decade.
The ensemble consists of Hannah Reardon-Smith and Jodie Rottle (flutes), Macarthur Clough (clarinets), Adam Cadell (violin), Katherine Philp (‘cello), Angus Wilson (percussion), Alex Raineri (piano) and Liam Flenady and Michael Mathieson-Sandars (composition).
Kupka’s Piano performs as part of the Cleveland Contemporary Music Event (CCME) at RPAC. The CCME runs from late October through to early November and is a unique opportunity to hear the best new music in Australia. It will be a celebration in sound spanning five nights and three weekends. In addition to this performance by Kupka’s Piano, the CCME will feature concerts from Topology and The Kransky Sisters, ELISION, Lawrence English and David Bridie.
Tickets to Hauntology are $20 - $45 or tickets can be purchased to see three or more CCME concerts for $35 each. For bookings and further information visit rpac.com.au or phone 3829 8131 (booking fees are $4.10 by phone and $5 online per transaction).
