Big Jazz Day Out 2026

In a powerful meeting of kindred forces, the Monash Art Ensemble (MAE) reunites with members of the Australian Art Orchestra (AAO) for an electrifying performance.

Spoken word meets the avant-garde in a daring new work that reimagines Stravinsky’s L'Histoire du soldat for a digital age. A new work by AAO Artistic Director and composer Aaron Choulai and rapper Roman MC, To Kill A Magic We Got Used To follows a modern artist trading authenticity for social media fame. Experience this genre-defying performance – building the story live by utilising Choulai’s unique conducting system. Stravinsky’s music is abstracted into a blend of composition and improvisation around Roman MC’s narrative-led spoken word and freestyle. This gripping work confronts the cost of visibility and the fragile balance between creative ambition and artistic integrity.

To Kill A Magic We Got Used To takes the stage at Monash University’s Big Jazz Day Out 2026, joining a vibrant celebration of adventurous jazz and creative works, 9:30pm at the David Li Sound Gallery.

Aaron Choulai (AAO)

Aaron Choulai is a composer, pianist, and conductor whose practice spans more than two decades of innovative work across Australia, Japan, Europe, and the United States. Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra and Director of the Tatana Village Choir, he is widely regarded as a leader in contemporary music. Born in Papua New Guinea and raised in Melbourne, Choulai signed with Sunnyside Records in his early 20s before relocating to New York, where he performed with leading jazz figures and led his own projects. He later spent 15 years in Tokyo, becoming a respected figure in Japan’s experimental and underground music scenes while completing postgraduate studies at the Tokyo University of the Arts.Roman MC is an award-winning artist, freestyle MC, and storyteller who has been performing on international stages and engaging with diverse audiences for over a decade. Alongside a career in higher education and outreach programs workshopping with students, he has engaged with communities across Australia and abroad using creativity and self-expression as vehicles for developing self-belief, resilience, and a growth mindset. As a lead performer in internationally touring live bands like BULLHORN and Life On Earth, and the urban circus 360 Allstars, Roman’s freestyle performances have impacted audiences worldwide, including sold-out solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

MONASH ART ENSEMBLE

The Monash Art Ensemble (MAE), based at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance, is a hybridistic ensemble blending composition, improvisation, and new technologies across the art music world. Founded in 2012 with support from key philanthropic partners, MAE commissions and performs new Australian music, connecting students with leading artists and mentors. The group collaborates with leading international and national figures, features regularly at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, and has released several acclaimed albums. With a focus on innovation, education and artistic research, MAE nurtures emerging talent and expands audiences beyond Melbourne’s CBD, earning numerous awards and national recognition for its ground-breaking work.

Monash Art Ensemble Committee

Prof. Paul Grabowsky
Assoc. Prof. Robert Burke - Chair & Producer
Louisa Rankin - Ensemble Manager
Dr. Paul Williamson
Dr. Aura Go
Dr. Anna McMichael
Chelsea Wilson

CONTACT

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