Anthony Lyons

Highly recommended are two very special recent music releases…

Firstly from Denmark the talented Ice Cream Cathedral have produced their first full length album The Drowsy Kingdom – and it’s a ripper! The songs are beautifully crafted, intelligent pop full of strong melodies, interesting harmonic changes and alluring electronic and production values. I’m not surprised they are starting to get so much positive attention from reviewers and bloggers around the world. More on the album here.

http://www.icecreamcathedral.com

Meanwhile Luke Howard’s Sun, Cloud has developed over the past year from recording sessions in Oslo, Reykjavík and Melbourne. This album is also a beautiful and unified body of work with compositions lushly orchestrated for strings, piano and electronics. Again, very highly recommended! You can find information about Luke Howard and the album Sun, Cloud here.

www.lukehoward.com

Anthony will be playing guitar with osh10 this Thursday 28^th February for Tinderbox Radio at Voice FM (99.9FM) in Ballarat. Tinderbox celebrates it’s last show and they’re throwing a live to air balcony party! Amy from Tinderbox is a massive supporter of Australian independent music and super lady to boot and so it will be a pleasure to be part of this event. If you are in Ballarat you can come and be in the audience - if you're in another city or another country then you can still get amongst it (6pm-10pm AEST) by streaming live at:

www.voicefm.com.au

In the studio again at Atlantis Sound for another enjoyable string recording session with osh10. It's exciting as her new album gets very close to completion. In other news the Bach/Lyons Project recordings from December 2012 are currently being mixed and mastered.

Image: Working with the strings at Atlantis Sound

Anders Bach and Anthony Lyons have spent the last week recording new compositions in Copenhagen towards an intended 2013 Bach/Lyons EP release! You can find more information on the Bach/Lyons Project here. Some photos of the past week below.

Many thanks to cellist Lachlan Dent for featuring one of my solo cello works last night at the Malaysian Composers Concert Series at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre.

Well into a three week residency at the inspiring La Muse in Labastide-Esparbairenque and starting to finally hit a groove with sketching some new works. If only there were more blocks of time like this. Some photos below of the autumn colours and my work space.

From the osh10 blog comes a nice review of the recent ASTRA concert:

“I was lucky enough to see both the rehearsal run and the performance of a highly ambitious and truly engaging presentation of new works on Sunday. Titled ‘Piano Between Fingers and Electronic Transformation’ it featured the works of two Melbourne based composers Anthony Lyons and Steve Adam who composed pieces for solo piano and computer technology, and who for the past year have been devising work in close consultation with the pianist at the centre of the performance - Sonja Lifschitz.
It was entrancing, so often the fusion between organic and electronic can be forced and insincere- creating two separate sound sources that divide and confuse the listening experience.  However in the case of this performance they were entwined with subtle beauty, each allowing the other to take focus or to support. Lifschitz in both her technical prowess and her commanding presence and focus in what was a demanding 70 minutes of playing was mesmerizing.” 

- osh10, October 3rd, 2012

Thank you to everyone who came to the Astra Spring Piano Concert Series #1 in Melbourne on Sunday and for helping to make it such a beautiful experience. A special thank you to pianist Sonya Lifschitz and fellow composer Steve Adam. A couple photos below as we were setting up the space, preparing pianos, organising speakers and electronics.

Pianist Sonya Lifschitz has written a blog article for the Australian Music Centre's Resonate Magazine discussing our upcoming ASTRA piano concert this Sunday 30th September in Melbourne. Sonya also writes about the collaborative process between performer and composer framing creative collaboration as contemporary performance practice. You can read the full Resonate article here.

A pleasure to have shared the stage with some fabulous musicians the past two weeks during the osh10 Japan tour. A particularly inspiring night of music at Urbanguild in Kyoto. Some photos below, firstly from Urbanguild in Kyoto and then (in the 'Read more' section), Vi-code in Osaka.

Looking forward to returning to Japan in September for a series of shows playing guitar with osh10. Friends in Japan, please come along and say hi.

More details can be found on the Calendar page or at the osh10.com

A couple of shots below from a string quartet recording session at Atlantis Studio in Melbourne. Myles Mumford at the desk, Aimee Chapman out of frame, and myself conducting.

Recently announced as part of the wonderful ASTRA Concerts for 2012 is the premiere of a new piano work that I have been developing with the pianist Sonya Lifschitz. Ours is the first of four concerts to be part of the ASTRA Spring Piano-Plus Series, held at the Eleventh Hour Theatre, Fitzroy, Melbourne on Sun 30 September at 5pm. The full ASTRA 2012 concerts program is now available from ASTRA.

Just back from witnessing osh10 play a fantastic set at Cuckoo for the Fuse Festival in Adelaide, and also managed to catch the start of the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Image: osh10 at Cuckoo, Adelaide, 2012

Ukranian born Australian pianist Sonya Lifschitz and myself have been developing a series of new works for piano exploring the intersection of electronics with acoustic and prepared piano sounds. We recently finished the first stage of this project with a week of recording sessions. As the recordings get mixed and manipulated into shape I’ll post some audio links in the not too distant future. Below some photos from some of the recent recording sessions.

I’m going to be a guest on radio 3MBS 103.5 FM this coming Sunday evening, the 22^nd of January, on the ‘Australian Sounds’ program with composer and broadcaster James Wade. I’ll be talking with James about my music with a number of pieces then being broadcast. You can tune in 9pm - 10:30pm Melbourne time.  If you’re not in Melbourne the show is streamed via the 3MBS website here

My latest orchestral work Quelques Cercles is now up on my audio page for a listen. The performance of the work took place at the Melbourne Recital Centre last year, performed by the University of Melbourne Orchestra, conducted by Michael Thomas. Hope you enjoy.

I’ve been asked to give another composition short course at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music in March/April 2012. You can find out more about it through the University of Melbourne page here.

Some news on a couple of my favourite artists and collaborators...

Firstly, osh10 has released a remix CD called ‘Heart:Disambiguate’ which is now available. It’s excellent, and a lovely launch was had recently at the Off the Kerb Gallery in Collingwood, Melbourne.

One of the osh10 remixes is by Anders Bach of the Bach/Lyons Project. Do also check out a recent release by Ander’s project Ice Cream Cathedral. Their new EP called ‘Straight Arcs’ is also now available.

Pianist Sonya Lifschitz presented some of our research into composer/musician collaboration models and creative practice at the ICME Conference in Perth recently. 

The conference, titled ‘The Power of Music’ was held at the University of Western Australia from 30 Nov – 3 Dec. Sonya and I are planning to record a series of pieces for piano and electronics in January 2012.

image: In my music room with Sonya Lifschitz - joined by my cat Figaro.

I’ll be joining osh10 at the Phoenix Public House this Thursday 24th November to play a short and sweet set. The night is part of a project called ‘We are Weapons: Part Two’ and Osh10 is on 10:15 – 10:45pm. Visuals, Music, come down if you're free...

"We Are Weapons - Exhibiting live musical collaborations set to film, exploring the contrast and continuity of nature and technology." Performances by DEJA, By Elly, Little Audrey and osh10, Yuko Nishiyama.

image: Phoenix Public House

Back to Melbourne town. Coming up I'm giving a five week composition short course at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - more info here. I also re-commence composing for pianist Sonya Lifschitz as we work towards a recording in December/January for piano and electronics - there is much music to write for this.

I gave an open showing of some of my works and discussed composition process and collaboration with the residents of La Muse today. It’s always enjoyable to discuss ways of creating and processes, particularly with some of the other art-forms here. A mutual learning experience all-round! We filmed a bit of an impromptu reading/music piece that I’ll try to edit and get up soon.

Two weeks now in this special part of the world at La Muse to work on new compositions, collaborate, workshop, and digest the past few months.

Final day in Denmark today. There is a bit of time to wander around this beautiful city of Copenhagen – also a train up to Helsignor to see where Shakespeare’s Hamlet was set, a quick visit to the Carlsberg factory, then a catch-up and de-brief with Anders in the afternoon. Very sad to be leaving tomorrow but I leave so inspired by the positive experience of the Bach/Lyons Project. We next plan to perform our work with the project in Australia in February/March 2012. More info as it becomes available…

Anders and I spend most of the day getting gear organised for the gig tonight. Such beautiful weather here in Copenhagen. Literaturhaus turns out to be a beautiful venue for us, nice high ceilings, wooden floor, grand piano – it once was a church.

The performance goes superbly. The hard work over the past four days pays off and Anders, I and the rest of Bach/Lyons musicians enjoy a great gig, really sitting in the music nicely – up there with my most enjoyable performances ever! A really warm and enthusiastic reaction from the audience as well – can’t wait to do this again, as well as write and collaborate on new material for it.

We do a live studio recording today between 1pm-5:30pm. We get about five pieces recorded – there’s only time for one or two live takes each, but I’m hopeful a couple of the pieces will come up nicely. The pieces are sounding better each time we play and I’m excited about the performance tomorrow night at Literaturhaus, 9pm.

The Bach/Lyons Project do a video recording this afternoon and into the night which allows me part of the day to go over scores and laptop things, plus get a few things sorted (like replacing all the batteries in my fx pedals). The video recording at the Aquarium looks great – we light candles all over the stage and run through our program of now 10 compositions.

Second rehearsal…still a lot to get through including new compositions today but everybody is really focused and it’s feeling really good. Tonight I catch a train down to Roskilde to join osh10 play a gig at 10pm at Gimle.

First rehearsal at the Aquarium today!

Have arrived in Copenhagen tonight and although a little weary am glad flights have all synced up. I love this city! Tomorrow down to work though with the Bach/Lyons Project.

Conductor Michael Thomas and the University of Melbourne Orchestra premiered my new orchestral work Quelques Cercles last night at the Melbourne Recital Centre. I'm happy at how much the orchestra lifted in the performance and how well the piece was received. Thank you to all the supporters who came along, and thank you to everyone who came up to me afterwards with their many kind words of congratulations. I just hope the recording comes out well too! Now to pack my bags and get to the airport - next stop Copenhagen for the Bach/Lyons Project.

The Bach/Lyons Project have an exciting week of rehearsals, recordings and performance coming up in Copenhagen, Denmark beginning on the 22nd September. There is much music and collaborating to be done over the next few weeks but Anders and I are confident that we, with the musicians of the Bach/Lyons Project will produce something beautiful. You can read more about the Bach/Lyons Project here

Orchestral parts for Quelques Cercles are all printed and bound - a relief. First rehearsal with the conductor Michael Thomas is September 12th. Three rehearsals with the orchestra then performance at the Melbourne Recital Centre  on Monday 19th September, 7:30pm. Fingers crossed! The piece takes its title and broad inspiration from a painting by Vassily Kandinsky.

Kandinsky’s abstract painting, full of coloured circles against a dark background seemed to me like a snapshot of the cosmos or a nebulae full of rotating stars and planets. Circular and spiral ideas permeate the music and structures in Quelques Cercles. Here to the left is Kandinsky's painting;

My final gig on the osh10 tour at Lizard in Yokohama goes well. I will be sad to leave Japan tomorrow after experiencing so much new music and so many lovely people.

Teaching duties and orchestral parts wait for me in Melbourne. osh10 has another 5 shows in Japan so have a look at the tour schedule if you're in and around Tokyo.                

We played at Chop in Ikebukero tonight - a really enjoyable gig. Aimee's energy is amazing and we connect to a really appreciative audience. Some great groups on the bill also - excellent musicians using guitars, laptops and creating interesting electronic and hybrid sounds, great sound engineers, and friendly people all round.

Through Harajuku, parks, op-shops, ice-cream, metro, markets, more op-shops, gallery and nice dinner out. Then of course I work for hours in the middle of the night on orchestral parts! Photo below of day time rambling through Harajuku park.

A couple of trains out of Tokyo to a venue called Pumpkin in Yokosuka. It's loud tonight but I do enjoy turning up when given the chance! There are fireworks above the city before we play - perhaps because this is also Hiroshima Day.

Arrived in Tokyo this morning with laptop, guitar and fx pedals intact and ready to join the osh10 Japan Tour. Sound-check at Deseo Shibuya at 3pm and gig at 7pm!

Orchestral score is done!!!! Whoo, it's been 6 weeks from start to end and somehow I've written 14 minutes of new orchestral music. I'm exhausted but feeling mostly good about this piece. I've settled on the titled of Quelques Cercles (several circles). Now to complete the individual parts due by the end of the month. Excited also to be heading to Japan in 3 days to join the osh10 Japan Tour

It's nearly finished...a new orchestral work for the University of Melbourne Orchestra to be premiered at the Melbourne Recital Centre on the 19th September. Deadline in one week...

osh10 album launch at the Toff this Tuesday from 7:30pm!!!  I contributed string arrangements to three of the tracks on the album. You can get the album One Hundred to the Ground here

I love the Ballarat crew! Had a lot of fun tonight on Tinderbox Radio with Amy and guest host Nathan Curnow. Osh10 played a few great tracks off the upcoming album One Hundred to the Ground (including one of my favourites Black Widow) and I sneaked in an old Leaf track called Diving. Osh10 CD Launch at The Toff next Tuesday 19th!!!

Below a little pic taken after the show of us doing various interpretations of blue steel. I'm sure Nathan would have won this blue steel competition, but he had to take the photo.

Next week I'll be on the wonderful Tinderbox Radio with osh10. Tune in on Thursday 14th July from 6pm-8pm on the Ballarat dial 99.9 FM or listen in online via the online stream: VoiceFm.com.au

Hosts Amy and Lauren have a really great and inspiring show with Tinderbox, so even if you can't listen in next week, catch them and the music they play one Thursday soon!

I've just stumbled across a great blog by whisperinggums called Monday musings on Australian literature. In the blog on the 20th June whisperinggums looks at interactions between contemporary poetry and music. The blog makes mention of the Pure Poetry Project and quotes some of my comments published in Resonate regarding the process of collaboration between music and poetry for the 2011 Pure Poetry Project. Have a read of whisperinggums musings, there are some really interesting comments as well as mentions of other Australian poets, composers and ensembles, including Bruce Dawe, Les Murray, Andrew Ford and The Song Company. Here is a link.

A little review of the Pure Poetry event by Thomas McIlroy was published today in the Ballarat Courier. Some excerpts below;

"A highlight of this year's program was the world premiere of an
interdisciplinary work penned by composer Anthony Lyons in collaborations with Nathan Curnow."

"The audience came on a discovery and were moved by the interplay between music and words."

Thank you to all those who came to the Pure Poetry/Music performance at the Art Gallery of Ballarat on the 21st May. We had a full house and enjoyed great performances of new works. The night was also recorded by ABC Radio. This photo was taken after the performance and from left to right you see: Lachlan Dent (cello), Emma Knight (flute), Me, and the brains behind the project - pianist and poet Bronwyn Blaikclock. Nathan Curnow, poet extraordinaire, reader, narrator and collaborator with me on the main work of the night (The last Chocolate Factory) must have been off getting a drink at this stage.

An article written by me about the upcoming Pure Poetry Project event has been published in the Australian Music Centre's on-line magazine, Resonate. You can read the full blog here.