Azimuth
Description
Presented by BackStage Music In partnership with Bankstown Arts Centre & CuriousWorks
What does it sound like to navigate cultural identity, memory, and sense of place in 'Western Sydney'?
Azimuth, taking its name from the Arabic word meaning “the ways/directions", is an immersive evening of brand-new, experimental music and sound art. Curated by Greek-Lebanese composer and performer Isabella Rahme, this showcase brings together a dynamic lineup of artists from diverse diaspora and First Nations backgrounds with a connection to 'Western Sydney'.
Through collaborative sonic experimentations - ranging from live acoustic performance and electronic production to spoken word and soundscapes - Azimuth explores the infinite ways cultural journeys shape the contemporary Australian landscape.
What to Expect
New Works Premieres: Fresh, collaborative compositions created specifically for this showcase.
Diverse Expressive Styles: A blend of instrumental performance, sound art installations, electronic beats, and poetry.
Community Connection: A rare chance to experience the creative process and hear local artists tell personal and conceptual stories through sound.
Event Schedule
- 7:00 pm
Doors Open & Arrival
Arrive early to explore the venue and settle into Bankstown Arts Centre.
- 7:30 pm
The Showcase
A curated presentation of live sonic explorations and new collaborative works.
- 9:00 pm
Artist Meet & Greet
Post-Show Gathering - Connect with the artists, curator, and community after the performance.
Lineup
Isabella Rahme (Curator)
Isabella Rahme is an artist, composer and performer of Greek and Lebanese heritage living and making music on Bedigal land. Her compositional explorations centre on symbolism and gesture to express concepts and emotions related to the navigation of cultural identity. Azimuth is her response to the complexities of living in the diaspora, highlighting both the shared experiences across cultures and the unique individual perspectives that deserve the attention of the broader community.
Ria Andriani
Ria Andriani sings, writes and lifts the voices that usually go unheard. A classically trained soprano and a writer, she has spent this year working beyond the concert voice: spoken poetry, performance art and improvisation. Ria grew up in Indonesia, works in Indonesian and English, and is reconnecting with her cultural roots through the work.
Andrea Lim
Andrea Lim is a violinist and interdisciplinary artist working across performance and sound. Her current practice complicates the subject matter of morality in today's socio-political climate.
Peggy Polias
Peggy Polias writes music about safety, secrecy and the things people keep in journals. Dr Peggy Polias is a composer, academic, music librarian and music engraver of Greek island heritage, living and working in south-west Sydney on Dharug and Eora lands. Myth, stories and artefacts from ancient Greece run through her work, including the chamber opera "Commute", "Arachne" for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's 50 Fanfares, and "Cameo" for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. She has two albums out with Kammerklang, "Picnic at Hanging Rock Suite" and "Hive".
Joseph Tabua
Joseph Tabua plays electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, octave mandolin, bouzouki and whatever else has strings on it. A Fijian-Australian composer, guitarist, conductor and academic based in Western Sydney, his music sits where contemporary practice meets cultural memory: identity, encounter, displacement and the experience of diaspora. He lectures in performance and composition at Western Sydney University and is writing a five-chapter cycle for electric guitar on Fijian-Australian identity.
Mark Ross (Munkimuk)
Mark Ross plays bass, rhythm and lead guitar, keyboards and drums, and has been rapping since 1987. Known as Munkimuk, he is a Jardwadjali and Wotjobulak man and the artist widely called the Grandfather of Indigenous Hip Hop. He founded South West Syndicate in 1992, has released multiple albums across four decades, and was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2014. He is Ensemble Offspring's First Nations Composer in Residence for 2025–26.
Pico Dos Santos-Lee
Pico Dos Santos-Lee builds warm, spacious environments of sound out of saxophone timbres, resonance and texture. A Sydney-based Macanese-Chinese composer and sound artist, Pico puts memory at the centre of the work, weaving acoustic sound, electronic noise and atonal field recordings into pieces about remembering.
Behzad Ansari
Behzad Ansari plays setar, tar, oud and santour, and writes music built on Persian modal systems, rhythmic cycles, improvisation and poetry. A composer and educator, he is the founder and artistic director of Avaye Rood Ensemble and recently completed his Doctor of Creative Arts research at the University of Wollongong on intercultural composition through Persian music traditions. His recent album "Intersection" comes from the same interest as Azimuth: connecting different musical cultures.
Accessibility & Ticketing
Physical Access: Bankstown Arts Centre is fully accessible. For detailed mobility and transport information, please visit the venue website: https://www.bankstownartscentre.com.au/plan-your-visit
Access Needs: If you have specific vision, hearing, or sensory requirements, please contact us prior to the show at info@backstagemusic.com.au or call 0402 051 903.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
