Multitudes #3 - Black Cockatoos

multitudes is a four-concert series at Moonah Arts Centre, showcasing the outcomes of violist Katie Yap’s Freedman Fellowship project. 

It sees her collaborate with four of Australia’s most exciting musicians - not just in performance, but also in composition. Through the joyful process of improvisation and co-composition, she and her collaborators have created four new works, which will see their Lutruwita/Tasmania debuts in this concert series. 

Each based on one of Judith Wright’s exquisite bird poems, these works bring together myriad elements that make up an artist. Each work celebrates a juxtaposition - old/new; human/nature; Chinese/Australian; and folk/classical. This is a classical concert series like no other: come experience the intimacy, warmth, and vitality of these new works and collaborations.

Concert #3 - Black Cockatoos

Black Cockatoos brings together renowned early keyboardist and composer Donald Nicolson with Katie Yap in a joyful exploration of old and new. With works ranging from medieval abbess and mystic Hildegard von Bingen, through Ravel and Britten to a new work by Melbourne-based composer Kevin March, it culminates in a rare collaboration in the classical world.

Donald and Katie have co-composed Black Cockatoos for harpsichord, baroque viola, and electronics. Based on Judith Wright’s poem of the same name, this semi-improvised piece draws on influences from Hildegard von Bingen, JS Bach, and 70s electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre. Evoking the unsettling moments before a storm, and the heavy wildness of the black cockatoo’s wingbeats, it rounds off a concert not to be missed.