The interaction between Australia and the rich cultural heritage of the Asia-Pacific region will be explored by Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University researchers and visitors in Encounters II: Musical meetings in the Asia-Pacific from November 22-25.
Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre (QCRC) Director Huib Schippers said the event traced the lines of influence through musicians and composers to paint a picture of the exchange of musical ideas and concepts.
“At the close of a year of celebratory programs for our first 50 years, Queensland Conservatorium looks firmly forward to its role and potential in the region, informed by the recent and distant past,” Professor Schippers said.
The event builds upon its successful 2005 predecessor Encounters — meetings in Australian Music which focused on 200 years of musical interaction with Indigenous Australians.
Areas featured include New Zealand, Indonesia (with an emphasis on Bali), and the Pacific and Torres Strait Islands. Integrated in the program is Islands, the joint conference of the Musicological Societies of Australia and New Zealand.
Organisers expect more than 100 prominent music researchers from throughout the region, adding to a vibrant exchange of ideas.
“The conference theme refers to the actual study of music from the land masses in the region surrounded by sea, as well as metaphorical islands, inviting reflections on connections and disconnections between places and cultures,” Professor Schippers said.
The program, inspired and curated by well-known composer, broadcaster and journalist Vincent Plush, will feature national and international guests including the NZTrio, Richard Nunns (maori instruments), Ananda Sukarlan (piano), Riley Lee and Satsuki Odamura (shakuhachi and koto), The Australian Voices, Sarah Patrick, Lexine Solomon and Seaman Dan.
More than 200 Conservatorium students and staff will play an active part in this exciting exploration of musical connections in seven concerts over four days.
For the full and updated program, visit www.griffith.edu.au/encounters