Collective approach to new sounds

Music

Acclaimed pianist Gabriella Smart has launched a new ensemble-in-residence at the University of Adelaide's Elder Conservatorium of Music.

The Soundstream Collective has been created under the auspices of the University's new J.M. Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice.
The Collective's mission is to promote and develop multi-disciplinary research and performance practice in new music.

Gabriella Smart is artistic director and pianist for the Collective, which was launched at an inaugural concert in Elder Hall last month.

Known for her innovative programming and insistence on the highest artistic standards, Smart has drawn on some of the finest new music practitioners from across Australia to join the Collective, including cellist John Addison, pianist Stefan Ammer, clarinettist Peter Handsworth, violinist and violist Erkki Veltheim, and percussionist Andrew Wiering.

The Collective is supported by a significant grant from the University of Adelaide to commission new works and stage a series of eight public performances over the next two years.

As the only ensemble in South Australia dedicated to profiling contemporary classical music, Soundstream Collective is also committed to showcasing local talent and creating a national profile for new music in South Australia.

"Soundstream Collective is a celebration of new music in Australia and the only event of its kind in South Australia," said Smart.

"The Collective is a platform for collaboration, discourse and performance of new music, and will be committed to the development of contemporary music practices and the creation of new works through the support of emerging and established Australian composers and performers. The result is a unique experience in contemporary chamber music," she said.

Highlighting the Collective's commitment to supporting composers of new music in Australia, tax-deductible donations can be made to a Soundstream Commissioning Fund, which will be used to support the commissioning of new works.

The launch concert, which included a number of Australian and world premiere performances, was recorded for national broadcast by ABC Classic FM.