Adelaide Baroque

Friday September 11th, 7.00
Saturday September 12th 3.00, 7.00

Orchestral Series 3: Old Worlds and New 2

Nexus Arts

(Lion Arts Centre, Corner North Tce & Morphett St)

 

Have you ever been fascinated by the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean? From the Greek and Roman empires onwards, civilisations have risen and fallen along its shores, creating a rich interweaving of traditions, religion and philosophies.

At Nexus Arts this September, Adelaide Baroque present ‘Old Worlds and New 2’ – their second instalment of music and stories from the medieval period in this region. This time journeying eastwards to explore historical musical worlds from current-day Florence, through Greece and the Middle East amid the overarching influence of the Ottoman empire.

Hear evocative impressions of music from this time – was music of ‘the east’ different to that of ‘the west’? Even music from the west was different back then! Music, however, is music and conjures feelings, rhythms, colours, associations – explore these realms and their history and get a feel for diversity and the riches that lie at the human heart of them all.

In particular we welcome special guests Maryam Rahmani and Yahya Hoseinkhani, South Australians of Iranian heritage, performing on the santur and the ney. The santur is a beautiful instrument that uses light hammers on metal strings to weave a shimmering curtain of sound, whilst the ney is a deeply spiritual wooden flute from the Persian tradition.

In specially created arrangements with the Adelaide Baroque strings, we will have a focus on melodies and styles from this area and its near neighbours.

Likewise we have return guests Aaron Brown (early strings) and Philip Griffin (oud and guitars) who bring sounds from Italy and Greece, the Balkans, and the islands of the Mediterranean, as culture was exchanged via land and maritime routes across shifting borders.

It’s a journey of the imagination with a melody or tradition handed from one generation to another with roots shrouded in mystery, yet made new again in the hands of master musicians today.

Bringing a contemporary touch will be star SA percussionist Alexander Flood – a jazz and club maestro turning an expert hand to Arabic instruments with a pulsating energy.

We welcome you to join us for what will be a unique and enlarging experience.

with

Maryam Rahmani | santur

Yahya Hoseinkhani | ney

Alexander Flood | percussion

Aaron Brown | violin

Philip Griffin | oud

Adelaide Baroque Orchestra, led by Ben Dollman