The Listening Sessions / Witta

The Listening Sessions invites audiences deep into the shared musical imagination of four of Australia’s most celebrated and daring multi-instrumentalists: Linsey Pollak, Greg Sheehan, Tunji Beier, and Shenzo Gregorio. Together, they embark on an uncharted journey of extended improvisation.

Nothing is written. Nothing is rehearsed. Beyond agreeing on a single pitch—the drone that anchors the music—everything else unfolds in the moment.

From there, time dissolves. What remains are connections, conversations, emotions, silences, surprises—and endless possibilities.

All you need to do is… listen.

Musicians

Linsey Pollak is well known all around Australia as a musician, instrument maker, composer, musical director and community music facilitator. He has toured his solo shows extensively in Europe, Nth America and Asia since 1996. He established The Multicultural Arts Centre of WA and has co-ordinated five Cross-cultural Music Ensembles in three different States. He has also performed at most major Festivals around Australia and recorded over 40 albums (solo & with various groups).

Greg Sheehan is one of the leading figures in Australian Percussion. As a performer, teacher and recording artist, he is significantly represented in Australian music for over 50 years. He has been a major influence on generations of musicians and has literally reshaped the map of RHYTHM… A passionate visionary who has created a unique system of maths music called ‘Rhythm Diamonds’ which is now being taught in Music Colleges around the country.

Tunji Beier at the age of ten Tunji was studying Yoruba drumming in Nigeria. Six years later he travelled to Bangalore in South India to study percussion for three years at the Karnakata College of Percussion under the mentorship of Mr TAS Mani. This intense period of study enables Tunji to bring his mastery of the mridangam, kanjira, ghatam and morsing to a huge variety of projects with musicians such as with greats such as: Charlie Mariano, Bill Cobham, T.A.S.Mani, R.A.Ramamani, Trilok Gurtu, and Zakir Hussain.

Shenzo Gregorio dazzles audiences with his world-class performances. He has been performing professionally for almost 20 years, his career highlights include performing at New York’s world famous Carnegie Hall with FourPlay String Quartet and author Neil Gaiman. He’s a leader in his field of jazz and world styles having performed in Russia, Brazil, Asia, India, parts of Europe and all over Australia at various festivals.