Chisholm St: Chris McNulty & Michael Westlake

Performance. Community. Connection. 

Chisholm St is a live performance space on Wadawurrung country, Ballarat. We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.  

Hosted by Bronwyn Blaiklock, Chisholm St is an intimate foray into fascinating corners of classical music. The platform was dreamt up in the 2021 global pandemic to provide a performance space for performers based in Ballarat and the region. The annual concert series offers an eclectic program with an ethos of shared inspiration. The intimate space gives you a rare glimpse into creative music-making, up close and personal.  

All tickets include refreshments - wine, cheese and other delectables - and you are invited to stay on afterwards to meet the performers and enjoy the Chisholm St. community. 

Performances are one hour duration unless stated otherwise. Concerts start at 6:00 pm; please arrive in time to settle in. Dress for the weather - doors to the deck could be open if the temperature is mild (though our performers' comfort gets priority). If you are unwell at the time of a concert and you have missed the chance to request a refund, please consider gifting your seat to a friend! 

Chris McNulty & Michael Westlake | 25 & 26 April

Critically acclaimed Australian-American jazz vocalist and composer, Chris McNulty, is joined by esteemed pianist, Michael Westlake. Together they’ll be performing a selection of songs drawn from the Great American Songbook, popular standards from the 60’s as well as several penned by McNulty herself. 

Chris McNulty's warm, soulful sound and liquid phrasing melds seamlessly across a wide range of styles and idioms. One of the unique modern vocal jazz artists of her generation who also composes, McNulty melds technical mastery and emotive delivery with a special gift for storytelling. Her effortless synergy with the musicians she shares the stage with has been captivating audiences worldwide for decades. With vocal influences ranging from Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald, including a generous tip of the hat to Streisand as well as early Rnb artists, she combines a rich, expressive voice with a deep sense of swing, a natural feel for the blues and an impressive ability to improvise.

After moving to the United States in 1988, McNulty became a fixture on the New York jazz scene for almost three decades before relocating back to Australia in late 2015. Her recordings and performances have garnered 4 and 5 star reviews in publications including DownBeat, Jazz Times, The Irish Times, Jazz Wise, All About Jazz, JazzIz and The Australian. Her album ‘Eternal’ (Palmetto 2015) earned her 11th place on the 80th DownBeat Readers Poll for Album of the Year in 2015. In 2013 Chris was the recipient of the Australian Jazz Bell award for Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album for 'The Song That Sings You Here.' She is also the recipient of a 2019 Bundanon Trust composer residency which she completed in Perth, WA. Chris is currently working on a project of all originals which she hopes to record across a number of cities and countries in 2025.

The critics say about Chris, "McNulty has a refined musical intelligence, deep understanding and mastery of the bebop idiom and complete control of the ballad with an emotional wallop of lived experience. 'There's No Such Thing As Love' was memorable for McNulty’s great ability to tell a story, with perfect diction, engaging tone and expressive range. It was a programme chosen with such care and intelligence - old, new, popular, classic, original, standard, swing, ballad - it was like a degustation of jazz vocal at its most inviting and satisfying."  Ian Muldoon, Eric Myers Jazz - December 2023

Watch Chris McNulty with Paul Bollenback in "One Less Bell to Answer" (YouTube video). Read more about Chris McNulty.

Michael Westlake
Michael Westlake, a Ballarat local, originally hails from the Wheat Belt of WA. He has played piano extensively in many formats ranging from solo piano, instrumentally or with vocals, duo, trio, and up to 13-piece salsa bands. Classically trained and an accomplished jazz pianist, as well as a guitarist, vocalist and percussionist, Michael's philosophy is simple: it’s all music and no style is off limits, whether baroque counterpoint or roots reggae; then throw into the mix the influence of meditation, many trips to India, performing street theatre, writing film scores, arranging orchestra for Anthony Warlow, performing his own one man theatre shows and accompanying the likes of Gina Riley and Evelyn Krape. 

Read more about Michael Westlake.

Save on prices: buy a pass 

• All-Season Pass: nine concerts, March - December (available until 1 June)
• Autumn Pass: four concerts, March - June (available until 1 October)
• Spring Pass: five concerts, August - December (available until 1 October)

The venue

Seating
Bespoke reupholstered deck chairs and lounge suite awaits you, however, be sure to dress warmly as seating extends to an external covered deck and this is Ballarat, after all. 

Children
Young children under school-age are welcome to attend for free, although paid ticket-holders have priority of seating. Children are welcome to enjoy the garden and cubby house during daytime performances. 

Refreshments
You are invited to join the performers for refreshments afterwards. This includes wine, cheese, gluten-friendly snacks, light drinks, tea and coffee at no extra charge. You are welcome to bring a bottle of your favourite beverage.