Hamed Sadeghi (Iran/NSW) Empty Voices Quartet

“...astonishing power and convulsive impact.” ★★★★1⁄2 Sydney Morning Herald.

Multi-ARIA award nominee composer and Tar (Iranian lute) virtuoso, Hamed Sadeghi brings a brand-new work Empty Voices. Through his melancholic and spellbinding compositions, Sadeghi offers a unique and dazzling dialogue between the tar, bass clarinet, double bass and percussion.

The quartet led by Sadeghi and comprised of internationally renowned Australian Jazz figures Lloyd Swanton and Paul Cutlan along with Iranian percussionist Sohrab Kolahdooz delivers a mystique work.

Influenced by Persian Sufism philosophy, Sadeghi contemplates the notion of Love, with a musical homage to ancestral Persian culture. Empty Voices has seen four sold out concerts at Sydney Opera House and Sydney Festival since the premiere launch earlier this year.

Produced by Hamed Sadeghi
Co producer, Cloé Fournier
Supporter and Funding Acknowledgement:
Australian Council for the Arts
Create NSW government through Create NSW
APRA AMCOS Art Music Fund in partnership with the Australian Music Centre and SOUNZ

Lynette Irwin MF Composition Commission

The 2023 recipients of the inaugural Lynette Irwin MF Composition Commission are Kayleigh Pincott and Brendan Foster.

This commission recognises recipients’ existing body of work and the contribution they make to the Brisbane and Australian jazz communities. This commission represents the BIJF’s enthusiasm to encourage ongoing creative output. BIJF founder Lynette Irwin was exceptionally dedicated to providing compositional commissions to Queensland artists, as well as fostering collaborations within the scene, and this commission is a wonderful way of memorialising and continuing Lynette's life-long endeavours.

This commission supports Queensland-based jazz musicians to compose new works to be premiered at the festival, to support risk-taking and create a new original vision. This commission will present a unique Queensland story and celebrate emerging storytellers from the Queensland jazz community.

The two commissioned composers will each develop approximately half of an hour-long program of new original music. The composers will collaborate on at least one new work that will be included in the performance. The new works will be performed in the afternoon on Saturday 28 October. An open rehearsal will be held at 2.30-4:00pm on Friday 27 October at the Thomas Dixon Centre as part of the BIJF Showcase event.

This commission is funded by the Queensland Government's "Queensland Arts Showcase Program".