Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Research Publications

Permanent URI for this collection

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Lyrebird Brass - Apex Predators
    Immel, D ; Brennan, J ; Blackwood, C (Common Tone Records, 2022)
    Lyrebird Brass (LB) is a research cluster of University of Melbourne staff and professional collaborators dedicated to commissioning, performing and recording brass chamber music. In creating Lyrebird, continuing research staff Carla Blackwood, Joel Brennan, Don Immel are establishing themselves as one of the most exciting ensembles on the Australian chamber music scene. Lyrebird is expanding available brass chamber repertoire through new commissions with a particular emphasis on Australian music and works by composers from underrepresented demographics. Through superlative performances and recordings, LB is reframing the historic, limited perceptions about brass chamber music and about what it means to be a musician in the 21st century. LB is the first professional Australian brass ensemble to feature women as core members. "Apex Predators" consists of world-premiere recordings of five new works (17 tracks) for brass quintet, including four by living Australian composers and one about Australia by a living American composer. The multi-movement, major new works “Melbourne Mosaic” by Andrew Batterham and “Neptune’s Treasures” by Robert Cohen were both commissioned by LB, and significant workshopping has taken place with all five composers towards creation of these recordings. This output represents an important addition to the recorded brass chamber music repertoire.
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Lyrebird Brass and Melbourne Recital Centre: Top of the Food Chain, Bottom of the World
    Immel, D ; Blackwood, C ; Brennan, J (Melbourne Recital Centre, 2022)
    Lyrebird Brass is a research cluster dedicated to commissioning, performing and recording brass chamber music. Lyrebird are expanding available brass chamber repertoire through new commissions with a particular emphasis on Australian music and works by composers from underrepresented demographics. Through superlative performances and recordings, Lyrebird Brass is reframing the historic, limited perceptions about brass chamber music and about what it means to be a musician in the 21st century. LB is the first professional Australian brass ensemble to feature women as core members. Lyrebird Brass presents a major concert of new music for brass quintet, presented at the invitation of a major, peer-reviewed venue. The concert consisted of new brass quintets by living composers, including: Australian composer Alan Holley’s major new work “The Goodchild Canzonas” (World Premiere, commissioned by LB), Ukrainian-Australian composer Katherine Likhuta’s “Apex Predators” (Australian Premiere), British-Australian composer Luke Styles’ “Solder,” Melbourne composer Kate Neal’s “Fanfare,” American composer Robert Cohen’s 4 movement piece about Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (commissioned by Lyrebird Brass), and University of Melbourne PhD recipient Andrew Batterham’s multi-movement piece, “Melbourne Mosaic” (commissioned by Lyrebird Brass).
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Lyrebird Brass and the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Present: New Works for Brass Chamber Ensemble
    Immel, D ; Blackwood, C ; Brennan, J ; Williams, N (University of Melbourne, 2021)
    Lyrebird Brass (LB) is a research cluster dedicated to commissioning, performing and recording brass chamber music. LB are expanding available brass chamber repertoire through commissions with a particular emphasis on Australian music and works by composers from underrepresented demographics. Through superlative performances and recordings, LB is reframing the historic, limited perceptions about brass chamber music and about what it means to be a musician in the 21st century. LB is the first professional Australian brass ensemble to feature women as core members. Presented live and live-streamed from Melba Hall, this sold-out performance is published online and remains available. A culmination of several years of research activity, this concert sets a clear foundation for the expanding performance-as-research trajectory of the LB research cluster.