Street Notes
Street Notes offers eight musicians aged 18 – 26 years old a mentoring experience and workshop residency within Penrith Conservatorium at The Joan in October- December.
Working with professional mentors, project peers and the Artistic Director, they will develop collaborative classical music performances in response to the urban landscapes of Penrith and St Marys.
Upon completion of successful workshop sessions, all mentees will be involved in a livestream performance of their works as a series of micro concerts (10 – 15 minutes each). The micro-concerts can be enjoyed individually or sequentially as one progressive performance.
Overseen by the Artistic Director, Paul Smith, this group of emerging performers and composers will collaborate with three professional musicians to perform a collection of repertoire from different centuries of classical music. The program includes works by favourite composers, hidden gems, and new works composed by ensemble members.
Designer Dale Morgan’s set pieces are inspired by a new imagining of the Pied Piper; the magical melodies from the Street Notes performers bring flora and fauna of the urban landscape to life.
Street Notes will be documented on film, with participants capturing their creative journey through interviews, video diaries and capturing key moments as they refine their work. The final film will be screened on The Joan’s in-house AV wall and online through website and social channels.
The Performances
- Penrith Part 1: Watch the Concert
- Penrith Part 2: Watch the Concert
- Penrith Part 3: Watch the Concert
- St Marys Performances
Two favourite works for solo flute and violin by Bach are presented alongside a new arrangement of the romantic violin melody “Yumeji’s Theme” by contemporary Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi.
PERFORMERS:
- Matilda Seppelt ~ Flute
- Ethan Powell ~ Violin
- Jack Ward ~ Cello – Guest Mentor
PROGRAM:
- J. S. Bach ~ Partita in A minor – Allemande
- Shigeru Umebayashi ~ Yumeji’s Theme
- J. S. Bach ~ Partita in E major – Menuet 1
Artistic Director
Paul Smith
Paul is a composer and senior lecturer in music at the University of New England based in Sydney who specialises in writing opera and music for the toy piano. He holds a Doctorate of Creative Arts from Western Sydney University and is the co-artistic director of Blush Opera. Paul has collaborated internationally and his music and operas have premiered in Singapore, the UK, Italy, the USA, and Armenia in addition to Australian festivals and concert performances. In 2021, his largest operatic work, Chop Chef, a collaboration with writer and satirist Julie Koh which explores reality TV food competitions, will premier in Parramatta at Riverside Theatres. Paul is an associate artist with the Australian Music Centre and was also a contributing writer to the ABC and triple j digital series, What is Music?
Set design by Dale Morgan
Theatre Maker Dale Morgan-Mawby is a Western Sydney based theatre maker, designer, director and producer. As a graduate of the Sydney Theatre School, Dale has an appreciation for all facets of theatre and stage production and has worked for numerous theatre companies, festivals and immersive live events. As a designer Dale believes the purpose of a set is to immerse the audience in the experience and transport them to a world far different from their own. Dale’s recent theatre design credits include The Market Man (2019), Border Security (2019), Trainspotting (2019), Hannah (2018), Doyle’s Farmhouse (2018) Speaking in Tongues (2018), The Concierge (2017) The Birds, The Bees and The Entire Menagerie (2017)
The livestream performances on 21 and 28 November will be uniquely embedded into the streets with the help of a whimsical temporary set design by Dale Morgan. Inspired by a new imagining of the Pied Piper, the magical melodies from the Street Notes performers bring the urban landscape to life.
SCENE: The year is 2050. Severe climate change has impacted every facet of our lives. trees no longer exist; they have been replaced by metal oxygen dispensing replicas.The streets are overrun by rates. Political unrest hassee the end of government and law enforcement. The only hope for our future is a team of artists and musicians who aim to rid the city of its rat infestation and soothe the souls of remaining survivors.