Stormlight from The Opera and Song Collective

The Opera and Song Collective (TOSC) presents Stormlight — Contemporary Voices, a programme bringing together established and emerging artists in a celebration of contemporary music, with the emphasis on Australian composers and new vocal works.

Curated by Jill Sullivan, the programme includes scenes from Tristan Entwistle’s new opera Much Ado About Nothing, Michael Lampard’s At the Harbour’s Edge, works by David Tunley, Nigel McDougall and Christine Draeger, alongside music by Ross Edwards, Kaija Saariaho and Thomas Pasatieri.

Jill Sullivan says “Every generation has something to say, and every generation deserves to be heard. The great composers we treasure today were once contemporary voices themselves, inspired by the world around them.”

“Stormlight celebrates that continuing creative spirit through music inspired by nature, poetry, Shakespeare and the human condition.
Yet another story runs through this programme: the remarkable threads of friendship, family, mentorship and artistic collaboration that connect our composers and performers. Teachers and students, parents and children, old friends and new colleagues come together, sometimes through unexpected connections spanning generations and continents. These are the circles of life that sustain music, passing inspiration from one generation to another. Today we celebrate not only new music, but the human relationships that bring it to life.”

Performers include sopranos Samanta Lestavel and Leah Thomas, mezzo-soprano Jill Sullivan, tenors Matthew Gaskin and Michael Kaufmann, baritones Tristan Entwistle, Michael Lampard, James Pinneri and Dale Schilling. Accompanying the singers will be flautists Christine Draeger and Philip Murray and pianists Bradley Gilchrist and Claire Howard.

One of TOSC’s central aims is to provide opportunities for singers and composers to explore repertoire that deserves to be heard more widely, while continuing to develop the artistic life of our local musical community.