Join internationally renowned musicians who share their stories, talents and expertise with a lecture and/or performance. Connecting with the UNSW student cohort, each presentation is followed by a related performance by UNSW musicians. You can ask questions, provide feedback and join in the discussion.
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UNSW music students
If you are enrolled in a Performance Lab course (MUSC1707, MUSC1708, MUSC2703, MUSC3705, MUSC3706, MUSC4705) you must attend four (4) masterclasses across the year. Each term, three are scheduled and you must register in advance (live, face to face Masterclasses only). Please read through the below masterclass descriptions to choose which four you would like to attend and register for them now.
At the end of the year, student attendance will be checked, and students shown to have attended less than 4 across the year, risk failing the course. Masterclasses will appear on your Class Schedule.
Time & place
Forces in Music Masterclasses are currently being presented in Sir John Clancy Auditorium.
Please book the Masterclasses through Eventbrite link below.
Contact
Sonya Lifschitz
Forces in Music Convenor
Email // s.lifschitz@unsw.edu.au
Adam Hulbert
Forces in Music Convenor
Email // a.hulbert@unsw.edu.au
Click each tab for more information.
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Week 1, Term 1 2021
Friday 19 February // 3-5 pm
Sir Clancy Auditorium (C24)Paul scores music for films, TV and theatre and he has previously worked with Bangarra on the acclaimed productions – BLAK and “Miyagan” from OUR LAND PEOPLE STORIES.
Paul Mac is one of the leading figures in Australian electronic music. He is a composer, songwriter, musician and producer. Paul is a multi ARIA Award winner for his work with underground dance pioneers Itch-E & Scratch-E and for his own solo work. The list of artists with whom he’s collaborated over recent years includes Megan Washington, Daniel Johns, and Ngaiire.
Paul scores music for films, TV and theatre and he has previously worked with Bangarra on the acclaimed productions – BLAK and “Miyagan” from OUR LAND PEOPLE STORIES.
Credits for Paul’s remix duo, Stereogamous, include remixes for LCD Soundsystem, Rufus Du Sol, George Michael, Sia, and Kylie and he has also released an album under the moniker, The Dissociatives, with Daniel Johns.
In addition to his multiple ARIA awards and APRA songwriting award, Paul’s career highlights include Australian Dance Music Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Dance and Producer Of The Year.
Paul is currently at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music completing a Doctor of Musical Arts. Most recently, Paul composed music for Sydney Theatre Company’s production of “How to Rule the World” by Nakkiah Lui. His electronic, choral, theatre work ‘The Rise and Fall of St George’ (with playwright, Lachlan Philpott, and director Kate Champion) has been performed at the Sydney Festival 2021.
Paul has just released his new album “Mesmerism” on the Here To Hell label.
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Week 5, Term 1 2021
Friday 19 March // 3-5 pm
Sir Clancy Auditorium (C24)
Dr. Roger Mills is a musician, educator and writer whose practice and research focuses on online music making, improvisation, radio, sound and music in composition, and installation. His strong interest in intercultural collaboration emerged from his work with cross-cultural singers and performers during the halcyon days of Trip Hop in Bristol, UK. His experimentations with early Internet file mixing platforms led to large-scale audio-visual telematic performances, which were experienced by online and collocated audiences in the UK, Europe and the US.
Aiming to explore new approaches to intercultural online jamming, Roger founded the internationally acclaimed Ethernet Orchestra. The ensemble have performed nationally and internationally since 2009, and inspired his research, and recent book about intercultural tele-improvisation.
Ethernet Orchestra released their highly praised second album, Oceans between Sound, in 2020, which received high volume international radio play was described as “Opening doors on the far East to the avant-garde cellars of New York (Krautnick Magazine), and a ‘testament to what can be achieved through real-time internet performance’ (Sound is the Message Radio Show, Barcelona).
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Week 9, Term 1 2021
Friday 16 April // 3-5 pm
Sir Clancy Auditorium (C24)
Oliver Shermacher is established as one of Australia’s most sought after and successful young musicians. He is a highly respected soloist, theatre maker and orchestral clarinettist, specialising in the integration of theatre into instrumental performance. He is currently completing his Masters in Clarinet Performance at the Freiburg Hochschule für Musik in Germany.
Since winning the prestigious Freedman Fellowship and reaching the Grand Finals of the 2018 Young Performers Award, Oliver has performed as soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble Apex, and as Principal Clarinet with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Opera
Australia Orchestra. Oliver was a featured Solo Artist of the 2019 Extended Play, and has given solo recitals throughout Australia and Europe with an emphasis on electronics and theatre.
Oliver is the Artist in Residence with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra for their 2020/2021 Season, set to premiere the Alice Chance Clarinet Concerto with the orchestra later this year.
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Week 1, Term 2 2021
Friday 4th June // 3-5pm
Sir Clancy Auditorium (C24)
Steve White is a pioneer, from his earliest incarnations in Stex at the beginning of the 90s. Collaborating with the likes of Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and Dave Ball (Soft Cell) to the present day as Steve Spacek, he continues to push boundaries with aesthetics, innovation and technology.
Throughout his career he has released solo and collaborative music on some of the most-forward-thinking labels across the musical spectrum - Island Universal, Warp, !K7, Eglo, Ninjatune, Exist Records and now his own imprint, SPA.
With fellow explorer Mark Pritchard the formed Africa HiTech (Wrap Records), sampling Ini Kamoze for their single 'Out In the Streets' and Sun Ra for 'Light the Way'.
For Ninjatune he released a solo exploration in iOS beat making via contemporary genres - newave, soul, and reggae, shedding previous workflows in favour of developing his creative discipline further, using iOS apps, an approach he continues to refine for Eglo and his own label SPA.
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Nardi Simpson is a Yuwaalaraay storyteller and performer living in Sydney. Her early music training at the Eora Centre of Aboriginal Studies, Visual and Performing Arts in Redfern, Sydney saw her begin a career as a musician, songwriter and performer with vocal duo Stiff Gins, travelling both nationally and internationally for twenty-one years and releasing three albums during that time.
Nardi's writing journey began in 2014 participating in Indigenous Writers’ Mentorship Programs with Writing NSW and FATSIL Young Indigenous Writers Initiative. In 2016, as part of Liveworks Festival, Nardi co-wrote and performed in the theatre work ‘Spirit of Things: Sound of Objects.’
In 2018 Nardi received the State Library of QLD’s Blak&Write Indigenous Fellowship and began refining what was to become her debut novel 'Song of the Crocodile'. In 2019 Nardi wrote and premiered her debut play ‘'Black Drop Effect,’ for the 2020 Sydney Festival. In early October 2020, 'Song of the Crocodile' was released with Hatchette Australia.
Nardi continues to perform with Stiff Gins, works with student ensembles and directs cross-cultural choir Barayagal at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and is currently undertaking a PhD with the ANU School of Music. Heavily involved in the making and sharing of culture in both her Sydney and Yuwaalaraay communities, Nardi lives in Sydney's Inner West with her partner and teenage son.
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Véronique has established herself as a versatile musician whose repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary classical, folk, rock and improvisation. She is committed to ‘new works’ and regularly collaborates with Australia’s composers.
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Caleb Kelly is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture. His research focuses on sound in the fields of media arts, gallery arts and music. His research has led to a rethinking of how art is listened to, historically and in contemporary practice. Kelly coordinates the research group Sound, Energies and Environments
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Christine Johnston combines vocal performance and music with her visual arts background in creating stand out work. Known for her particular bent on humour, dramatic visual style, musical-saw and bird calls, she has created a diverse range of works nationally and internationally. Along with self devised performances, including MADAME LARK, she is also co-creator of the multi-award winning comedic trio THE KRANSKY SISTERS.
Christine Johnston is an Australian performing artist/writer/singer who came from a semi-rural, outer Brisbane suburban childhood at Geebung, with two sisters, a brother, portrait painter mother, a dentist mechanic father, chooks, ducks, horses, dogs, frilly lizards, camping and bird-listening. Christine has created and collaborated on a diverse range of performance and musical works for events, festivals, art galleries, theatre, comedy, short film and cabaret which have toured Australia, UK, Europe, Asia, USA and Canada.
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15 October 2021 // Caleb Kelly
17 September 2021 // Veronique Serret
2 July 2021 // Nardi Simpson
13 November 2020 // Claire Edwardes
16 October 2020 // Monica Buckland
18 September 2020 // Todd Barton
31 July 2020 // Sally Walker
3 July 2020 // Marcia Taborda
5 June 2020 // Andrea Keller
21 February 2020 // Rhyan Clapham
2 August 2019 // Mike Nock
5 July 2019 // Liisa Pallandi
26 April 2019 // Lisa Moore
22 March 2019 // Elena Kats-Chernin
22 February 2019 // Douglas Khan & Peter Blamey