Hamish McKeich Conductor

Julian Ferraretto Violin

Born in Christchurch, Hamish McKeich has forged an impressive international conducting career alongside a passion for developing the repertoire of contemporary and experimental music. He was the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s Associate Conductor from 2002-2006, establishing a relationship that continues to this day in recordings and performances.

Hamish McKeich has conducted orchestras and ensembles around the world, such as the Elision Ensemble, Metropole Orkest (Hilversum, The Netherlands), Asko Ensemble of Holland, Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana, Armenian Philharmonic, and Auckland Philharmonia amongst others. He is also chief conductor of the contemporary ensembles Stroma, which he founded, and 175 East.

Initially a bassoonist, including a period as Associate Principal Bassoon with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Hamish McKeich began his conducting studies in London and also studied in Europe under the renowned conductors Valery Gergiev, Ilya Musin and Sian Edwards. Whilst in London he worked with the Morley Opera Company, Morley Chamber Orchestra, The Philharmonia, and the BBC Orchestras.

In 2012 Hamish McKeich was awarded a Douglas Lilburn Trust citation for services to New Zealand music and became Music Director of the Wellington Youth Orchestra. Concerts he has conducted this year include Pacific Rhythms, a concert with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and University of Christchurch Gamelan Ensemble containing works by Ziporyn, Takemitsu, Jack Body and Gareth Farr’s Percussion Concert; the Hilltop Hoods tour with the Adelaide, Melbourne, Queensland, Sydney and West Australian Symphony Orchestras and Sydney Chamber Choir, Queensland Show Choir, Adelaide Chamber Singers, Polyphonic Voices and The Giovanni Consort; and the NZSO’s Spirit of Anzac concert (works by George Butterworth, Ross Harris, and Australian WWI soldier, Frederick Septimus Kelly).

In February 2016 Julian Ferraretto curated the first of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s Gigs at Grainger series The sell out concert titled Gypsy to Swing – The Journey of Jazz Violin saw Julian in the role as soloist, arranger, orchestrator and composer.

Australian born jazz violinist Julian Ferraretto moved to London in 2002 and has since become known for his virtuosic and melodically charged improvisational style. He has performed with many of the UK’s most important contemporary jazz and world music bands including the Neil Cowley Trio, Natacha Atlas’s Mazeeka Ensemble, Eska Mtungwazi, Robert Mitchell’s Panacea and Wigmore Hall Learning’s Ignite Ensemble. As a bandleader, side-man and strings M.D., Julian has played at all the major Jazz Festivals around Europe including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreux and The London Jazz Festival.

Now based in Australia, Julian continues to collaborate internationally through string arranging and recording, alongside touring and education projects. 2012 saw Julian on tour with the new Neil Cowley and strings project The Face of Mount Molehill as co-arranger and string leader. He founded and directs the 30 piece Goldsmith Big String orchestra (GBS) in collaboration with Goldsmiths University of London. GBS premiered at the 2012 London Jazz Festival playing with the Neil Cowley Trio to a packed Barbican Centre with the performance later broadcast on BBC Radio. In 2103 he founded Adelaide Big String who most recently performed at the 2016 WomAdelaide with Eska.

As a composer, Julian has had his works premiered at the Sydney Opera House, The Adelaide Festival and Wigmore Hall’s Time at the Bar series. He recorded his debut album Near in 2010, with the piece Basel being used in a film by the Royal Society.

Tomorrow’s orchestra today...

Gigs at Grainger

Fri 17 Jun 2016

ASO GRAINGER STUDIO, 91 HINDLEY ST, ADELAIDE

Season

placed within the orchestra, my musical idiosyncrasies are inherent in every note I have I composed. I believe in thinking outside the box. I believe our time on this planet is too short to compromise what ‘could have been’ if we’d only just pushed the envelope a little further. But most importantly I believe all musicians and composers have a responsibility, to both their audiences as well as to themselves, to constantly reinvent the art they create. I have worked hard to uphold all these beliefs in the music I present to you tonight.

When embarking on the epic journey to create this new body of work a famous quote from French composer Claude Debussy gave me inspiration and strength – “Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art”. I am in no way comparing myself to the great composer but I feel both inspired and comforted by the courageousness of his words.

I am thrilled tonight to be once again sharing the stage with my good friend and musical ally Julian Ferraretto on the violin whom, I believe, is a true South Australian treasure. Julian is a champion of many genres and a forward thinking musician with an undeniable fire in his belly.

I hope you enjoy the show!

Adam Page

A note from Adam

Had you told me five years ago that I would be playing with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra I would never have believed it. Had you told me five years ago that the ASO would be presenting an entire program of my music I would have responded with “Don’t you have to be dead 100 years for that to happen?!”. I am pleased to say that five years ago I would have been quite wrong in that assertion thanks to the visionary leadership of the current ASO. Nearly a year ago, during the first meeting with the ASO management team I was asked what my best-case scenario would be for a concert with the orchestra. I suggested a full program of my work thinking this would never be a possibility but to my great surprise they loved the idea. I am humbled by their support and faith in me, this concert is a celebration of what’s possible when you recognise the opportunities that exist in your own backyard and take a few risks.

Tonight’s program is a collection of old ideas re-imagined in an orchestral sense, entirely new compositions, world premieres, Australian premieres, solos, duos, improvisations (from members of the orchestra!) and a performance of my first symphony, MOMENTVM commissioned by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in 2013. All of the pieces you will hear tonight are quite unorthodox and also come from a place of risk; whether it be unconventional instrumentation, using looping and sampling technology to record, play back and overdub the orchestra, extended improvisation sections or whole movements of MOMENTVM being guided by sub-conductors

Tomorrow’s orchestra today... PROGRAM

InspirationCommissioned by the ASOWorld premiere

Loop solo Adam Page on multiple instruments

Space, time and a new pair of shoesRe-orchestration commissioned by the ASOAustralian premiere

MOMENTVMCommissioned by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (2013)Australian premiere

INTERVAL

CornersCommissioned by the ASOWorld premiere

Through the Moon Glass Adam and Julian loop duoCommissioned by the ASOWorld premiere

Seconds: Day OneCommissioned by the ASOWorld premiere

Waking BhairavaCommissioned by the ASOWorld premiere

AfricaCommissioned by the ASOWorld premiere

The concert will be recorded by ABC Classic FM for broadcast on Friday 24 June at 10pm.

Adam PageAdam Page is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, music educator and record producer based in Adelaide, South Australia. Known widely for his critically acclaimed solo multi-instrumental looping performances, Page has carved his path internationally as a composer. He has written major works for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (which he has also conducted), the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington, Zephyr Quartet and has collaborated extensively with John Psathas, composer of the 2004 Athens Olympics ceremony music. 2016 sees Adam co-composing a solo saxophone and looping pedal suite with Slava Grigoryan, writing for and performing with the Australian String Quartet and developing an improvisational ‘sign language’ with the Wizard Tone Art Orchestra.

Page’s other musical collaborations stretch far and wide, working with artists and groups such as STRIKE, STROMA, Noel Gallagher, Katie Noonan, Riki Gooch, The Shaolin Afronauts, Ross McHenry, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Oisima, Electric Wire Hustle, The Richter City Rebels, The Adelaide Sax Pack, Darren Percival, Mal Webb, Lisa Tomlins, late Indian sitarist Dr Chandrakant Sardeshmukh, Dave Whitehead (recording various sounds for The Hobbit films), Christoph El’ Truento, Nico Suave, Julien Dyne, Julia Deans, James and John Morrison, the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra and the Wheatsheaf Ukulele Collective.

Festivals Page has appeared at include Glastonbury (UK), WOMADelaide, WOMAD NZ, Big Day Out, Edinburgh Fringe, Sydney International Arts Festival, Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne Fringe, NZ Fringe, SPLORE, Hamilton Garden Arts Festival, Erupt Festival, Queenstown Jazz Festival, Wanaka Festival of Lights, Capital E! Festival, Come Out Festival, Tora! Tora! Tora!, NZ National Jazz Festival, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Stonington Jazz Festival and the Wellington International Jazz Festival.

Page’s awards include: Weekly award for BEST MUSIC - 2016 Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne Fringe TOUR READY award - 2016 Adelaide Fringe, BEST MUSIC - 2011 Adelaide Fringe, BEST MUSIC and BEST SOLO SHOW - 2009 New Zealand Fringe, BEST MUSIC BY AN EMERGING ARTIST - 2007 Adelaide Fringe.

In 2014, Page co-founded Adelaide’s ‘Wizard Tone Studios’ - an artist focused recording studio and creative space. Page has also been a Big Band director and saxophone and small ensemble tutor at The Elder Conservatorium of Music and has been the Coordinator of JazzSA.

“It is a rare treat to see a musician with such a masterful grasp of his craft performing with such effortless charisma, humour, and inventiveness. I was blown away. There’s no one doing it quite like him”. ~Tim Minchin.

“ASTONISHING!” ~Billy Connolly