Zephyr and Jane Sheldon Discover The Unknown
The Zephyr Quartet and soprano Jane Sheldon join forces paying tribute to composers unknown in Música Anonymous.
In an age where there is almost no such thing as anonymity, Música Anonymous brings together Adelaide’s award winning Zephyr Quartet and acclaimed New York-based Sydney-born soprano Jane Sheldon, in a program that pays tribute to composers unknown.
Through the medium of voice and string quartet, Música Anonymous explores the wonderful legacy of music bequeathed to us through the ages by anonymous composers, and questions the future of traditional folk music.
Universally folk songs are linked by strong themes: love and the loss of love, death and the supernatural, dance and celebration, lullabies and childhood and the wonder of nature. Art music composers have traditionally used folk song and traditional music in their compositions, from Beethoven and Bartok to Berio and beyond.
In Música Anonymous Zephyr and Jane explore these universal themes by gathering and arranging folk music of meaning to themselves and to other composers.
As well, Música Anonymous will feature Quincy Grant’s Irish Folk Songs, Andrew Ford’s Tales of the Supernatural and Folk Songs Set 11B by Iranian composer Reza Vali. This global program also features music from Mexico, Spain, Iceland, Finland, Macedonia, France and Israel.
“I think it’s a way to acknowledge that within each culture, folk music comes to be a kind of musical language to refer to place, often with an unashamed sentimentality, and so becomes a shorthand way to refer to that place in a fairly simple, affectionate way. It’s a good time to be talking about what the future of folk music is given globalisation and information-sharing and anonymity now being almost impossible to achieve.” says Jane Sheldon.
Zephyr Quartet delights in the exploration of diverse music and in forging dynamic collaborations. Since its inception in 1999 the quartet has expanded the boundaries of art music and how it is received by audiences.
Zephyr Quartet uses the power of the string quartet as a means of communicating and exploring complex relationships between society and art. Comprising violinists Belinda Gehlert and Emily Tulloch, violist Jason Thomas and cellist Hilary Kleinig, Zephyr has achieved an enviable reputation for artistic excellence, innovation and audience development. In the spirit of collaboration, Zephyr Quartet has become a leading exponent of collaborative arts practice, drawing inspiration from working with artists from diverse backgrounds, including theatre, dance, literature, visual art, environmental art, design, film and media art, to produce work that is vital, current and courageous.
New York based Australian soprano Jane Sheldon, specialises in early music as well as the creation and performance of new works. She has sung under the direction of William Christie, Charles Dutoit, Antony Walker, and Reinbert de Leeuw and has performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Pinchgut Opera, Boston Camerata, Halcyon and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. Jane is a member of the touring ensemble for composer John Zorn and has performed his music internationally.
Tickets: From $25.
