Wyatt, Meng x Grabowsky & Uraizee

Under the artistic direction of Paul Grabowsky AO, the Monash Art Ensemble embarks on a groundbreaking program, weaving together the musical worlds of commissioned composers Aaron Wyatt, Samar Uraizee, and a collaboration of new music by Mindy Meng Wang and Paul Grabowsky.

Performed by the next generation of Monash University talent and industry leading virtuosi, audiences will be transported through an odyssey from the gossamer of the guzheng, the lyrical power of the harp, and pulsating polyrhythms blended with Indian rāga.

This program stands as a pioneering moment in new music, and is a celebration of cultural diversity that boldly pushes the boundaries of musical expression.

THE COMPOSERS

Aaron Wyatt is a violist, violinist, conductor, composer, programmer, and academic. Originally from Perth, he spent many years as a regular casual with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra before moving to Melbourne to take up an assistant lecturer position at Monash. A member of the Decibel New Music ensemble, he also develops their animated graphicnotation app, the Decibel ScorePlayer. In 2021 he became the first Indigenous Australian to conduct a state symphony orchestra in concert, and as a composer he has written both traditional and elctro-acoustic works for ensembles like Decibel, Grey Wing, Ensemble Dutala, Enemble Offspring, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and the Monash Academy Orchestra.

Mindy Meng Wang a versatile Chinese/Australian Composer and world leading contemporary Guzheng Performing Artist. She is a pioneer to bring the Guzheng (ancient Chinese harp) into many western genres such as experimental, Jazz, western classical, Electronic, pop and improvisation.

In the UK, she collaborated with many high-profile artists like Gorillaz and frequently performed in many significant venues like O2 Arena and Barbican Centre in London among others, she also performed regularly in festivals in Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and France.

In Australia, Mindy performs regularly in many events, festivals and top venues including the Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin, Adelaide, OzAsia, Mona Foma, Dark Mofo, TEDx Sydney, AsiaTOPA festivals. Her collaborators include Regurgitator, Tim Shiel, Paul Grabowsky and Deborah Cheetham, AAO, Orchestra Victoria,SSO, MSO among others.

Mindy has won many national and international music awards in the past.  she received Australian Asian Leadership Awards 2023, Sidney Myer Fellowship 2022, nominated as the finalist at Melbourne Prize for Music, and she won “the Best Musician” of Music Victoria Awards, and “the 40 Under 40: Most Influential Asian-Australian Awards”. Mindy is also the artist in resident at Melbourne Recital Centre 2022/2023 as the first ever musician who plays a non-western instrument.

Paul Grabowsky is a pianist, composer, arranger, conductor and one Australia’s most distinguished artists. He lived and worked in Europe and the US from 1980-85, during which time he performed with many jazz luminaries including Chet Baker, Art Farmer and Johnny Griffin. Paul was musical director of Tonight Live with Steve Vizard (a nationally televised variety show) from 1990-1992 and Commissioning Editor (Arts and Entertainment) for ABC Television 1995-98.

Paul has won six ARIA awards, two Helpmann awards, several APRA and Bell Awards and a Deadly award. Paul was the Sydney Myer Performing Artist of the Year in 2000, and recipient of the Melbourne Prize for Music, 2007. He was the 2010 Australian National University H.C.Coombs Fellow.

He has written the scores for over twenty feature film scores in Australia, the UK and US. His works for the theatre include four operas and various multimedia works. Paul’s most recent opera ‘The Space Between’ premiered at Arts Centre Melbourne in September 2018.

Paul is the Founding Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra, which he led from 1994-2013, the Artistic Director of the Queensland Music Festival from 2005-2007 and Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival of Arts, 2010 and 2012. He is currently a Professor at Monash University, Director of the Monash University Academy of Performing Arts and Artistic Director of the Monash Art Ensemble. In 2014 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to music and arts administration.

Indian composer/performer, Samar Uraizee, is hailed as a key emerging voice for intercultural dialogue in the Naarm Arts Ethos.

Raised in the buzzing microcosm of Mumbai, multiculturalism has been imbued as foundational to their identity. Amidst the cross-cultural tapestry of post-colonial Bombay - interwoven with languages, scents, sounds, customs, and dreams - they spent hours immersing in the study of music(s), identity, and improvisation.

Lauded as one the highest achieving students at the Monash Arts Faculty, their polystylistic works negotiate with what it means to reflect “multiculturalism” in an

Australian context and is recognised as advanced, musically adventurous, and high-level dynamic repertoire.

THE WORKS

Samar Uraizee's Three?  serves as an opportunity to experience the intersection of diverse improvised music practices that have been formative to his developing musical  identity – Indian music (and its relevant sub-cultures of musical practice) and jazz  music. As the name suggests, Three? is built upon multiple re-interpretations of what a  large sum of 3 (conventionally considered a rather rudimentary meter of music) may be expressed as.  Harnessing core principles of Indian rhythm, Samar uses complex ‘taal’ variations, in combination with cross and polyrhythms to stretch the traditional expectations of how a piece’s pulse may be re-contextualised – taking the listener through a journey of  twists, stretches, momentum and groove. This rhythmic elasticity is complemented with harmonic and melodic elements  inspired by contemporary jazz, and ornamented with stylistic accents/nuances drawn  from Indian ragas and melodies producing a distinctive outcome. Three? stands as a pioneering fusion of Indian composition with jazz and big band elements. This work is testament to cultural diversity and innovation, illuminating  unexplored intersections between Indian musical traditions and jazz, enriching the  creative ethos of Australia. Notably, this work represents one of the earliest  instances of Indian storytelling in this cross-continental, context through jazz music.  Samar was the recipient of the 2023 Geoffrey Whitelaw Emerging Composer Grant, which was the impetus for this work.

Aaron Wyatt's Harp Meditations is his debut commission for the Monash Art Ensemble, and has proved an exciting opportunity to explore the cross over between the classical and jazz styles offered by this type of polystylistic ensemble. Aaron is most excited to working with the next generation of improvisers, and in particular exploring the tonal palette of what the harp can offer in this unique performance context. This new work will feature the instrument, playing around with its, at times, delicate and at other times, forceful nature.

The Rhythms of Autumn Leaves is a  collaboration of new music by Mindy Meng Wang and Paul Grabowsky. Their work is inspired by the diverse cultures of Mindy's hometown, Lanzhou. As the capital city of Gansu Province, Lanzhou is uniquely situated, bordering Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Qinghai. This geographic location endows it with a rich and unique cultural heritage. Historically, Lanzhou has been a significant trading centre on the ancient Silk Road, further enriching its cultural tapestry. This commission is based on a series of improvisations from Mindy and Paul's extant collaborations which has been orchestrated for performance by the Monash Art Ensemble.

THE MUSICIANS

Three? (Samar Uraizee)

Paul Grabowsky - conductor
Imre Scicluna - alto saxophone I
Sullivan Tung - alto saxophone II
Mirko Guerrini - tenor saxophone
Ash Ballat - trumpet
Oskar Moore - trombone
Samar Uraizee - voice & composer
Joe O'Connor - piano
Dylan van der Schyff - drum Kit
Rithvik Chand - tabla
Phil Rex - double bass

Harp Meditations (Aaron Wyatt)

Aaron Wyatt - conductor & composer
Maddie Thorburn - flute
Nicole Canham - clarinet
Sullivan Tung - alto saxophone
Rob Burke - tenor saxophone I
Tristan Western - tenor saxophone II
Ash Ballat - trumpet I
Alessandra Vodanovich - trumpet II
Oskar Moore - trombone
Sue Min - harp
Paul Grabowsky - piano
Dylan van der Schyff - drum kit
Anna McMichael - violin I
Liesl Parnell - violin II
Phoebe Green - viola
Gemma Kneale - cello
Phil Rex - double bass

The Rhythms of Autumn Leaves (Mindy Meng Wang &  Paul Grabowsky)

Mirko Guerrini - conductor
Maddie Thorburn - flute
Sibusisiwe Maswaure - Bb clarinet
Nicole Canham - bass clarinet
Robert Burke - soprano saxophone
Tristan Western - tenor saxophone
Alessandra Vodanovich - trumpet
Oskar Moore - trombone
Paul Grabowsky - piano & co-composer
Phil Rex - double bass
Dylan van der Schyff - drum kit
Anna McMichael - violin I
Liesl Parnell - violin II
Aaron Wyatt - viola
Gemma Kneale - cello
Mindy Meng Weng - guzheng & co-composer
Sue Min - harp
Alexander Meagher - percussion I
Owen Bloomfield - percussion II

Monash Art Ensemble Creative Committee

Prof. Paul Grabowsky - Artistic Director
Assoc. Prof. Robert Burke - Chair & Producer
Michael J. Kellett - Ensemble Manager & Producer
Dr. Paul Williamson
Dr. Aura Go
Chelsea Wilson

Event Production Team

Michael J. Kellett
Chris Cody
Finan McLaren 
Daniel Parr

Special Thanks to...

Melbourne International Jazz Festival
The Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance
Monash University Performing Arts Centres 
Salzer Foundation 
Minsmere Foundation 
Geoffrey Whitelaw 
Karl Willebrant
Sam Gayler

CONTACT

For all media enquires, please contact mae@monash.edu