Classical vibe breaks the rules

Award-winning percussionist Nick Parnell has notched up yet another achievement - he's the first University of Adelaide student to complete a PhD in Percussion.

The Elder Conservatorium of Music graduate, who has a Bachelor of Music (Honours) and a Masters in Percussion Performance, has spent the past three years taking classical music to the vibraphone.

"My PhD took me into new territory," Nick said. "The vibes is primarily a jazz instrument and hasn't been used to any great extent in classical music so my goal was to make it artistically compelling."

Nick has already released a CD titled Classical Vibes and will put his thesis into action around the country this month with a national concert, Bach to Brazil, which opens on Friday 10 September.

Some of the music he developed during his PhD will be performed in concerts across four states, including South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

Nick uses 50 instruments in a high-energy performance of festive Brazilian rhythms, ethnic drums, soaring Bach and Gershwin melodies.

Following a sell-out 2010 Fringe Festival season, Nick will be joined on stage this month by visiting US pianist Graeme Burgan for the national tour.

Audience members will be treated to a performance featuring tuned wine glasses, bamboo chimes, ethnic drums, woodblocks, piano and vibraphone. The highlight of the evening will be Nick's interpretation of Brazilian composer and percussionist Rosauro's 27-minute masterpiece Brazilian Rhapsody.

"Bach to Brazil will appeal to both classical music aficionados and world music lovers," Nick said. "It alters traditional perceptions of percussion and introduces the often misunderstood vibraphone to a whole new generation of music fans."

Nick's principal PhD supervisor, Emeritus Professor David Lockett AM, said the talented musician was not only among "Australia's finest percussionists, but has demonstrated unusual creativity and initiative in breaking long held stereotypes about the vibraphone and the type of music for which it is suited".

"His PhD research led to some excellent arrangements of established classical repertoire. It also codified a range of technical approaches that help solve the artistic challenges faced by those who perform on this largely misunderstood and under-appreciated instrument," Professor Lockett said.

For concert dates and details, go to: www.nickparnell.com

Story by Candy Gibson