CONCERTS: Resonant Spaces at CMAG

Canberra Museum + Gallery (CMAG) is proud to present Resonant Spaces, a solo piano concert series hosted inside the gallery at CMAG. Featuring ARIA Award–winning artists David Bridie and Sophie Hutchings, these concerts offer a rare opportunity to experience live music and visual art together, as each artist responds to the works of Sidney Nolan. Their contemporary musical interpretations reflect Nolan’s themes of landscape, myth, and identity in distinct and compelling ways.

Each performance will be followed by a discussion with curator Ross Heathcote and the featured artist, providing insights into their creative approaches and the interplay between visual art and music. 

The CMAG bar and Nolan Gallery will be open prior to each concert, and discounted pricing is available when patrons book for both concerts

David Bridie - 28 March 2025 - 7PM

Seven-time ARIA Award–winning artist and founding member of Not Drowning, Waving and My Friend the Chocolate Cake, David Bridie, will perform on 28 March 2025. His evocative soundscapes draw inspiration from Nolan’s stage and theatre collaborations, echoing the artist’s bold reimagining of history and mythology

A founding member of the critically acclaimed musical groups Not Drowning Waving and My Friend The Chocolate Cake, David has also maintained a substantial career as a solo artist. He is known for remarkable music that evokes the Australian landscape and breathes with political resonance.

2025 has already witnessed a stunning and joyous reformation of David’s band Not Drowning Waving for a rare Sydney Festival concert, and he has received an Honorary Doctorate recognising his work in music, and ground-breaking collaborations with First Nations musicians in Australia and the Pacific region.

Sophie Hutchings - 4 April 2025 - 7PM

Fresh from winning the 2024 ARIA Award for Best Classical Album, Sophie Hutchings has gained acclaim for her dynamic classical works that engage with Australia’s expansive landscapes. Appearing on 4 April 2025, Sophie will explore the breadth of Nolan’s oeuvre, reflecting his own fascination with the natural Australian environment.

Hutchings’ music has a transcendent and spacious beauty. Rich with emotion and feeling, texture and contrast, as propulsive and powerful as it is elegant and intimate, her acclaimed piano compositions are often an exquisite reflection on the Australian landscape.

In addition to her ARIA Award win in 2024, Sophie has also been nominated for the Australian Music Prize, and in an impressive year selected as one of The National Live Music Awards’ top five live instrumentalists of the year. Regularly touring in Europe to capacity audiences, Hutchings’ concerts have received glowing critical praise.

Sophie’s performance for Resonant Spaces presents a rare opportunity to experience her music in this intimate setting.

Part of CMAG’s Nolan 50 program, celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Nolan Collection at the Canberra Museum + Gallery.