The Sydney Opera House announced 'Music on Tubowgule' this week, a double-header celebrating the vibrant evolution of First Nations expression through bold new works by esteemed composers and performers - and their collaborations with some of Australia's most innovative music ensembles.
To be held in the Studio on June 26-27, the line-up features Eric Avery, Nardi Simpson, Melanie Mununggurr and Netanela Mizrahi with Ensemble Offspring and Arafura Music Collective in a powerful meeting of ancestral knowledge, modern composition and shared experience.
Known for intertwining violin and voice in the Ngiyampaa language, Avery, a Kabi Marrawuy Mumbulla man, will open the evening. Avery's performances draw on his family's custodial songs, creating sonic landscapes that speak to Country and cultural memory. Avery is a talented violinist, vocalist, dancer and composer from the Ngiyampaa, Yuin and Gumbangirr peoples of New South Wales.
As a fast-rising international artist, Avery also embodies new wave of First Nations expression that fuses classical form with cultural truth, sharing deeply personal stories through bold contemporary work. His collaborations span from Yo-Yo Ma to Tina Arena, with commissions from Australia's top ensembles.
"It's such an honour to perform as part of Music on Tubowgule at Sydney Opera House. I feel so lucky to be able to create work, to collaborate, and to share," he said.
The second performance, Stories of Water and Earth, is a groundbreaking collaboration led by the virtuoso Ensemble Offspring and the Northern Territory's Arafura Music Collective, featuring Yuwaalaraay woman, composer and performer Nardi Simpson (of the acclaimed duo Stiff Gins) and Yolŋgu woman, poet, storyteller and spoken word artist Melanie Mununggurr.
This hour-long journey strives to blend instrumental chamber music, beat poetry and dreaming stories, exploring the music and language of the land alongside the deep relationships between language, Country and experience.
The program also features a new work by Mununggurr, co-created with violinist and composer Netanela Mizrahi, who will perform alongside her.
Simpson's compositions honour the beauty and strength of Yuwaalaraay women's cultural practice, while Mununggurr's poetry delves into her Yolŋgu identity, exploring the intersections of motherhood, neurodiversity and queerness. Together, their work pushes the boundaries of First Nations expression and reflects the diverse voices across remote, regional and urban Australia.
Ensemble Offspring's Claire Edwardes shared her excitement surrounding the opportunity to collaborate with fellow First Nations musicians and bring the performance to Sydney.
"Stories of Water and Earth is a truly one-of-a-kind project, where together, we are able to share important female stories through music, Country, place and culture. Ensemble Offspring feels incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to develop this work in collaboration with ... Melanie Mununggurr and Arafura Music Collective in Darwin," she said.
"We can't wait to share this rich weaving of cultures, instrumental music, beat poetry and dreaming stories with Sydney audiences."
The Sydney Opera House's First Nations program continues the traditions of Bennelong Point, known to its traditional custodians as Tubowgule, a Gadigal meeting place for tens of thousands of years. The year-round program celebrates the richness of First Nations cultures by presenting works that address contemporary issues, revive forgotten stories and revitalise ancient cultural practice.
Music on Tubowgule will take place on Thursday the 26th and Friday the 27th of June.
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