news

New Solo at Supersense

01Jun

Excited to have been commissioned to make a new solo for Arts Centre’s Supersense Festival – potentially the most exciting festival to be curated in Melbourne in the last decade. Save the date!

6.30pm, 7 August 2015

Diplopia is a solo percussive work exploring a unique gestural vocabulary. Matthias uses tiny wireless lapel microphones attached to his wrists to amplify the resonances of massed chinese cymbals. Shifting harmonic patterns cycle in and out of audibility as asymmetric shapes are simultaneously articulated in sound and gesture. Informed by vision defects in which misaligned eyes see one object as two, Diplopia is a work in which resonating objects are channeled through the cracked mirror of an imperfect binary system. No attack and all sustain, the work is influenced by ambient aesthetics, with undercurrents of secret theatre and ritual.

For more info on the festival, and to book your tickets, click here

Theatre Press & Artshub

01Jun

A few nice reviews of my recent season of Fluvial at Arts House…

Hypnotic, evocative and engrossing…It’s an enchanting piece of work that allows you to slow down and not only truly appreciate what you are watching and hearing, but also reflect on the effect it is having on you.Theatre Press 

A brilliant performance by Matthias Schack-Arnott that brings to life a dark and frenetic urban resonance… Even during the performances most intense moments Schack-Arnott remains totally in control of his instrument and plays with a deft touch and grace.’ Artshub

Metropolis New Music Festival

30Apr

Speak is presenting three world premieres on the opening night of this year’s Metropolis New Music Festival.

Between two parts there is an intermission of a hundred thousand years features new compositions by three of Australia’s finest young composers – Alex Garsden, Jeanette Olivia Little and Peter de Jager. Three contrasting works move between intricate keyboard writing, polyphonic tapestries, post modern collages, video projection and trandsucer activated gongs. The audience and performers will shift between the different performance spaces of the Melbourne Recital Centre for each of the works.

Presented by the Melbourne Recital Centre & Speak Percussion for the Metropolis New Music Festival

7:30pm Monday 4 May

Elisabeth Murdoch Hall & Salon, Melbourne Recital Centre

$38/$28

Book your tickets here

Fluvial Wins Green Room Award

22Apr

Delighted to have won a Green Room Award in the category ‘Outstanding Work by an Emerging Artist’ for Fluvial.

Massive thanks to the Fluvial team – Steve Walsh, Lucas Paine, Travis Hodgson & Lisa De Silva.

To see full list of nominations and recipients, click here.

Interview on Radio National

13Apr

Last week I spoke on Radio National’s Drive program, in conversation with John Wolesley about the influence of natural themes on our work. You can listen back to the segment here.

Fluvial – Arts House 2015

05Apr

Arts House have programmed Fluvial as part of their 2015 program. Very excited to be remounting this work.

Fluvial draws its inspiration from tidal movement, currents, transformation and ritual. Informed by Matthias’ training as a classical percussionist, the work combines rigorous musical processes with an immersive installation environment. Objects are suspended en masse above an eight-metre bed of granite, metal and water. Glass bottles quiver and collide; overlapping metal tubes create glistening harmonic swells as wind chimes hover and sway over the instrument.

‘As thought provoking as it is beautiful… Theatrically stunning, aurally stimulating, Fluvial is an unmissable experience.’ – RealTime / Partial Durations.

Presented by Arts House & Speak Percussion
13-17 May 2015
Time: Wed – Sun 6.30pm. Fri 8.45pm, Sat 3.30pm, Sun 4pm. 
North Melbourne Town Hall, Arts House
Duration: 40 minutes
Book your tickets here

ARTISTS
Artistic Direction, Composition, Performance – Matthias Schack-Arnott
Art Technician – Steve Walsh
Timber, Stone & Metal work – Lucas Paine
Lighting designer – Travis Hodgson

EHWAZ

09Mar

Revisiting two Liza Lim works this coming Saturday as part of Georgia Ioakimidis-MacDougall’s Australian National Academy of Music Fellowship concert. Ehwaz, a beautiful trumpet & perc duo which we had the pleasure of working on with Liza last year. And Loveletter, a postcard piece for solo handrum which I premiered back in 2012.

Callum G’FROERER | Matthew HOY | Matthias SCHACK-ARNOTT | Katie YAP | Jenny KHAFAGI | Michael DAHLENBURG |

$15/$10 concession. Australian Centre of Contemporary Art, Soutbank.
Doors and bar open at 5:40, tickets at the door.

LIM The Window (world premiere)
LIM Philtre
LIM Love Letter
LIM Wild Winged One
LIM Ehwaz
~
HJERTMANN Two Lines for Hannah (Australian premiere)
EOTVOS Two Poems to Polly
G’FROERER Charcoals II (world premiere)
LAING The Paper Dolls (world premiere)
SCELSI Elgia per Thy

CAPTIVES

11Feb

I’m part of Chamber Made Opera’s latest show, which is being presented at the Arts Centre Melbourne.

CAPTIVES OF THE CITY

Wednesday 11 February 2015
6:30pm 

Thursday 12 February – Saturday 14 February 2015 
6:30pm & 9pm
Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne
Please meet at Curve Bar 15 minutes before performance time
Tickets: $38 (Full) $30 (Concession)
Book without delay via the Arts Centre Melbourne as tickets are limited!

Deep underground, something is stirring. Ideas are spreading and change is beckoning. The Captives have a choice: embrace the terrifying uncertainty of change or maintain the status quo. Captives of the City is a dynamic fusion of digital puppetry, live animation, music and performance; a new chamber opera that tackles fundamental questions of our time.

More info here

Tētēma Release

17Dec

tētēma is a new duo project from Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, principal Zorn interpreter) and Australian composer/pianist Anthony Pateras (Thymolphthalein, Pivixki, Pateras/Baxter/Brown, Beta Erko). I’m honoured to have guested on the recording, which features a killer line-up of musicians from across the globe. This album has a very special sound – definitely check it out. Can be found at Ipecac Recordings.

You can listen to the single, Tenz, here…

MONA FOMA 2015

09Nov

Playing the opening night of next year’s MONA FOMA Festival with Speak Percussion. More info here.