REICH: REJOICE: REPEAT to Feature Pianist Gabi Sultana With Ensemble Offspring
Claire Edwardes and dancer Richard Cilli join the program at venues in Sydney and Canberra.
To celebrate Reich's 90th birthday Ensemble Offspring will present REICH: REJOICE: REPEAT in Sydney on Saturday September 12 and in Canberra on Sunday September 13, a joyous retrospective featuring three of their Reich favorites, plus Metronomes (from RECITAL).
Ensemble Offspring will showcase Reich's remarkable creative evolution across nearly five decades. Widely regarded as "America's greatest living composer", the ensemble are huge fans of Steve Reich's music, admirers of the hypnotic power of his signature rhythmic grooves.
Joining Ensemble Offspring for the season is internationally acclaimed Mediterranean pianist Gabi Sultana, hailed as "a demon of energy; yet one of impeccable articulation". Renowned for her commitment to contemporary music and her fearless exploration of new sonic possibilities, Sultana has performed at prestigious venues and festivals throughout Europe and beyond.
The ensembles Artistic Director and percussionist Claire Edwardes says “Ensemble Offspring first met Gabi back in 2015 at the Canberra International Music Festival where we collaborated on the music of Phillip Glass. That concert saw Gabi being revered by the local press for her “prodigious technique” and a “clarity of the composer's vision” so we thought who better to feature in this celebration of Steve Reich's minimal mastery than Gabi.”
About Gabi Sultana
One of Malta's most celebrated musicians, Gabi Sultana is an internationally acclaimed soloist and chamber musician whose work focuses on music composed from the mid-20th century to the present day.
Her solo performances have taken her to major venues and festivals across the globe, while her collaborations frequently cross artistic disciplines to explore innovative performance formats. In 2018 she collaborated with electronic musician Peter Van Hoesen for the acclaimed "Variations" series in Paris, inspired by the music of John Cage.
Under the direction of conductor Sam Weller, Ensemble Offspring brings together an outstanding roster of Australian musicians, in addition to Gabi Sultana on piano, including percussionist Claire Edwardes, percussionist Niki Johnson, Ensemble Offspring's newest member, pianist Ronan Apcar, flautist Lamorna Nightingale, clarinetist Jason Noble, violinists Véronique Serret andAlexandra Osborne, violist Dana Lee, cellist Rowena Macneish and electric bassist Jacques Emery plus dancer Richard Ciilli.
Gabi is joined by Ronan Apcar, Claire Edwardes and Niki Johnson in Quartet – glittering music with hints of jazz infiltrating Reich's trademark rhythmic complexity. And with a piano–percussion quartet to hand, it makes sense to reprise Radio Rewrite,which was such a hit in our all-Reich marathon at City Recital Hall in 2018. Inspired by a meeting with Jonny Greenwood, Reich riffs on two Radiohead songs: Everything in its Right Place and Jigsaw Falling into Place. Will you recognise the originals? 'The truth is,' says Reich, 'sometimes you hear them, sometimes you don't.'
The performance begins with Metronomes (from RECITAL), featuring Claire Edwardes and special guest Richard Cilli in a striking fusion of music and movement. Richard then joins Gabi Sultana to create a compelling choreographic interpretation of Piano Counterpoint, bringing Steve Reich's iconic score to life through dance.
Program
Metronomes (from RECITAL) (2018) for metronomes and dancers Piano Counterpoint (1973, arr. 2011) for piano and tapeQuartet (2013) for two vibraphones and two pianos Radio Rewrite (2012) ensemble
Concert Duration: 65 minutes