Zephyr Quartet to Present BETWEEN LIGHT at the Queen's Theatre, May 21-25

Experience Zephyr Quartet in a new light from May 21-25 as this inventive South Australian ensemble continue their 15th Anniversary celebrations with a new performance project, Between Light, at Adelaide's historic Queen's Theatre. Collaborating for the first time with esteemed lighting designer Geoff Cobham, Zephyr Quartet will take their audience on a literal, visual and sonic journey that explores notions of light and dark.

Featuring the world premiere of five specially commissioned works by leading Australian jazz artists - each performed in an intimate and uniquely lit space at Queen's Theatre - Between Light will be a holistic, immersive performance experience that challenges conventional concert and recital formats.

Zephyr Quartet commissioned five renowned Australian jazz composers: Andrea Keller (VIC), Tony Gould (VIC), Stephen Magnusson (VIC), Matt Keegan (NSW) and Lyndon Gray (SA) - who were presented with the Italian art term chiaroscuro (the use of strong contrasts between light and dark) as the genesis for their new works. With free reign over their response and no obligation to write with a jazz influence, the final compositions draw from a range of musical styles.

"All the Zephyr members have a strong interest in jazz and improvised music, and one of the things we most admire about musicians working in these areas is how they'll often defy boundaries of style and definition," says Zephyr's Artistic Director & cellist, Hilary Kleinig. "We're delighted with how each composer has responded to writing for strings around this theme. It's amazing to see how varied the pieces are in style, given the shared theme and the artists' common background. We encouraged the composers to incorporate elements of improvised music into their scores and all of them have given us elements of improvisation and exploration within their pieces, which will make each performance unique."

Working with fellow-South Australian, Geoff Cobham has been on Zephyr's wish list for some years.

"We wanted to take the genesis for the new works beyond the music and have each piece being physically responded to by treatment of light/dark and space," says Kleinig. "Geoff has been the creative force behind a long list of outstanding productions so we're thrilled to have him craft a series of unique areas within the rustic interior of the Queen's Theatre, in which we can truly 'house' each of these new works."

Stepping away from the traditional concert format, audiences can expect to move with the Quartet through the theatre, sometimes playing a part in creating or manipulating a particular area's aesthetic and design.

The five works in Between Light will be the first produced through Zephyr Quartet's commissioning fund, Continuum - established by the ensemble in 2013.

"In the days of Beethoven and Haydn a thriving culture of patronage existed, but sadly that's greatly diminished over time," says Kleinig. "Supporting the creation of new music is very much a lasting investment with cultural significance for future generations. With this fund and projects like Between Light, we hope to remind people of that and inspire them to become involved in bringing new music to life."

BETWEEN LIGHT

When: May 21-25, 2014 at 8pm

Where: Queen's Theatre, Playhouse Lane, Adelaide SA*

Tickets: $30 + booking fee

Bookings: Book online at bit.do/betweenlight

More info: zephyrquartet.com

*strictly limited capacity - book early to avoid disappointment! All ages.

ABOUT ZEPHYR QUARTET: Since its inception in 1999, Zephyr Quartet has shown a continued determination to expand the boundaries of art music and how it's received by audiences. Zephyr Quartet is Belinda Gehlert and Emily Tulloch (violins), Jason Thomas (viola) & Hilary Kleinig (cello).

Pictured: Zephyr Quartet. Photo by Sam Oster.

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