Remy Le Boeuf Quartet (US/AU)

7.30pm GALA CONCERT Verbrugghen Hall

20min opening set by Mike Nock (solo piano)

  • Remy Le Boeuf saxophone

    Steve Barry piano

    Sam Anning contrabass

    Ben Vanderwal drums & cymbals

  • fascinating and virtuosic saxophone playing from one of the US’s rising stars

    multi-grammy nominated compositions

    Australias’s finest rhythm section players in collaboration with an international young gun

    Dynamic beauty and interaction

  • “Radiant, Uncluttered beauty” The San Francisco Chronicle

    “Overwhelming Beauty” The New York Times

  • Remy Le Boeuf is a 4x Grammy-nominated composer and saxophonist whose music is rooted in the jazz tradition and overlaps into contemporary classical and indie-rock realms. Le Boeuf is also the founder and director of the jazz orchestra, Assembly of Shadows, as well as the Chief Conductor of the Nordkraft Big Band in Denmark. He has worked with a range of collaborators including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Linda Oh, HAIM, JACK Quartet, Dayna Stephens, Prefuse 73, and his identical twin brother Pascal, with whom he co-leads the experimental jazz quintet, Le Boeuf Brothers.

    With his debut jazz orchestra release, Assembly of Shadows (2019), Le Boeuf established himself as a unique voice with a penchant for cinematic majesty and melody-driven themes. Hailed by the New York Times for his music’s “overwhelming beauty,” he quickly earned two Grammy nominations for Best Instrumental Composition & Best Arrangement the following year. In 2021, he released a complementary sequel, Architecture of Storms (2021), showcasing his acrobatic saxophone playing while exploring the diversity of his emotions and influences. His sophomore album garnered two additional Grammy nominations for Best LargeJazz Ensemble Album and Best Arrangement, Instrumental or a Capella.

    Le Boeuf's list of honors include commissions from Chamber Music America, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra, as well as 7 ASCAP Young Composer Awards, the BMI Foundation's Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize, the Sammy Nestico Award, and the Copland House Residency Award. He has received additional awards from the American Composers Forum, Jerome Foundation, Copland Fund, YoungArts, Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation, New York Youth Symphony, International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers, and Society of Composers.

    Le Boeuf is the Director of Jazz and Commercial Music Studies and an Assistant Professor at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music.

    Joining Remy for the Australian debut is Sydney CON Jazz Course Program Leader, Steve Barry and internationally renowned drum and bass team Sam Anning & Ben Vanderwal

Katie Noonan’s ‘Elixir’

5pm Verbrugghen Hall

  • Katie Noonan voice

    Zac Hurren soprano sax & piano

    Ben Hauptmann guitar

  • exquisite vocals

    arguably the world most beautiful soprano sax sound

    delicate interaction

    fascinating musicality

    one of Australia’s most prolific and accomplished artists in an acoustic setting

  • “like a samurai sword through silk….this enchanting, honest, intimate album can’t fail” The Mercury

    “Serenely ethereal” The Australian

    “The album’s 14 songs have a seductive pull, helped along by a Nick Drake-level tranquility and, naturally, our heroine’s effortless vocal style” Rave Magazine

    “filled with enchantment…Noonan’s voice, bare and beautiful against husband Zac Hurren’s intimate soprano sax and Stephen Magnusson’s expert jazz guitar, shines like a midnight star” Sunday Herald Sun

  • Elixir was founded in 1997 by Katie Noonan, Nick Stewart and River Petein. In 1999 saxophonist Zac Hurren (Katie’s partner of 24 years) joined the band, in 2005 guitarist Stephen Magnusson joined the band and in 2019 they introduced guitarist Benjamin Hauptmann to their trio.

    Their initial self-titled album Elixir (2003) #1 ARIA Jazz chart, #2 ARIA Australian Artist chart, their 2nd album First Seed Ripening (2011) was #1 ARIA Jazz chart for9 weeks and won the ARIA Best Jazz album of the year and their 3rd album Gratitude and Grief (2018) was nominated for the 2018 ARIA best Jazz album.

Quiet Country

2pm Verbrugghen Hall

  • Harry Mitchell piano & bandleader

    Allira Wilson vocals

    Benjamin Witt guitar

    Karl Florrison electric bass

    Ben Vanderwal drums

  • exquisite, jazz informed renditions of contemporary pop classics

    new perspectives and improvisational collaborations on popular songs

    a super sensitive aesthetic perfect for the acoustics of the Verbrugghen Hall

    a rare East coast appearance of this sensational group

  • “thoughtful, beautifully weighted, and well crafted” Loudmouth magazine

  • Quiet Country is a Perth-based collective of musicians that re-imagine iconic singer-songwriter works, celebrating the artistry in the songs that you know, while offering new perspectives and improvisational collaborations within the music.

    Led by Harry Mitchell on Piano, Quiet Country is fronted by vocal powerhouse Allira Wilson, and complemented by Ben Vanderwal on drums, Karl Florisson on bass and Ben Witt on Guitar.

    Their debut album “I Am Like The Rain” was released on ABC jazz in 2019 and met with critical acclaim, described as “thoughtful, beautifully weighted, and well crafted” by Loudmouth magazine.

    They will be performing their new album “Sadness and Euphoria” at Sydney Con Jazz festival.

Brekky Boy

6pm Music Workshop

  • Taylor Davis piano

    Ryan Hurst bass

    Alex Hirlian drums & cymbals

  • the funk

    catchy melodies intertwined with sophisticated ostinato

    virtuosic drumming from con alumni Alex Hirlian

    humour amidst burning musicality

  • Lyrical melodies, hard-hitting polyrhythms, EST/Tigran-style progressive grooves and no shortage of Aussie humour.." Jazzwise UK

  • Brekky Boy are an Australian electronic jazzrock trio who chuck things at each other onstage and occasionally play in 4/4.

    The Montreux Jazz Award nominees have toured the world in search of the best hot dog at festivals SXSW (US), Montréal InternationalJazz Festival (CA), Montreux Jazz Festival(CH), London Jazz Festival (UK), Jazzahead(DE), Saalfelden Jazz Festival (AT) but are yet to find the winner

Freyja Garbett ‘ Music from the Waves’

2pm Recital Hall West

  • Freyja Garbett piano

    Sandy Evans saxophones

    Max Alduca contrabass

    Miles Thomas drums & cymbals

  • a multi-movement suite combining electro-acoustic sonic palettes

    an audio synthesis of Freyja Garbett's two great loves: music and surfing.

    ambient, and rhythmically complex compositions

  • “The performance was too beautiful. The music itself was inspiring, intriguing and healing. I received so much dopamine while listening to it.”

    “Completely loved it! Fabulous artistry, great concept, tight band, arc of the performance was so well conceived and executed.”

    “Such an amazing experience. Loved the musicianship and Freyja’s inspiration from capturing sound waves whilst surfing.”

    “Freyja was extraordinary! To see a true artist up close was a real treat.”.

    *selected audience quotes

  • As an experimental artist, composer and producer, Freyja Garbett has become a staple of the Sydney music scene. With a unique sound that transcends genres and defies musical expectations, Freyja has captivated audiences across the globe.

    Freyja is a professional musician who specialises in jazz and other contemporary styles. She holds a Bachelor of Music with summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music where she majored in performance and jazz composition and attended on scholarship. She lived in Boston and New York City for five years. She currently lives south of Sydney and is performing and working as a session musician, composer and producer on piano and synthesisers.

    ​After returning home to Australia at the beginning of 2017, Freyja gained commissions by SIMA and APRA AMCOS to compose an extended work for a ten-piece jazz ensemble. ‘Bulga’ is a multi-movement suite which heavily utilizes synthesisers, FX and a range of studio techniques to manipulate the band’s recorded improvisations. From this commission emerged her regularly gigging Septet. This band recorded her debut album ‘Maya’ released on Art as Catharsis Records in November 2019. Freyja recently travelled to Malaysia to play at the Kuching Jazz Festival with her quartet in October 2022. She travelled to SXSW with Annie Hamilton in early 2023.

    ​Freyja is currently touring with Ian Moss and will be acting Musical Director and Pianist for Katie Noonan in 2024.

    ​Freyja has worked as a session musician with an eclectic array of artists including but not limited to: Montaigne, Casey Donaven, Matt Keegan, Mr Ott, Sandy Evans, Lucy Clifford, Genevieve Chadwick, Lyre Byrdland, Stella Donnelly, Annie Hamilton, Isabella Manfredi, Iluka, AGUM, Touch sensitive, Matt Keegan, Matthew Ottignon, RISSA, Alejandro Sanz, Mia Rodriguez, Hauskey, Alphamama and Liyah Night.

    Freyja teaches private and group ensemble lessons at Wollongong Conservatorium of Music, and collaborates with fellow jazz musicians Lucy Clifford and Jodie Michael to run Sisters of Sound, a female led music education collective aspiring to help women of all ages to grow their music skill sets, build confidence, explore curiosity, and embrace self expression.

NoMansLand

12pm Recital Hall West

  • Novak Manojlovic guitar, keyboard, samples & FX

    Phillippa Murphy-Haste bass clarinet, viola & keyboard

    Billy Ward tenor saxophone, viola & guitar

    Jacques Emery guitar & double bass

  • a gleaming Luna Park of the mind!

    a revolving spectrum of acoustic instruments

    a joyful celebration and re-exploration of Novak’s many and varied projects over the years

    freedman fellowship winning artist at the top of his craft

  • Novak Manojlovic welcomes you to NoMansLand - a joyful celebration, a hopeless elegy, a catacomb, a dunk tank, an empty house, a bright vista, a festival of spirit, a gleaming Luna Park of the mind! a gathered mess of found things which have been pulled apart, painted over and tied together again.

    NoMansLand re-explores the varied and celebrated output of Novak’s numerous projects including HEKKA, Grown Ocean, Places/People and more. By utilising samples & sounds extracted from a plethora of recording & rehearsal sessions then twisting them around drum machines, DAWs and FX units and a revolving spectrum of acoustic instruments, Manojlovic is here permitted to return to the yellow wood and investigate what lay down the road not taken.

    Novak Manojlovic is a musician based in Sydney whose work spans electro-acoustic, classical, improvised, jazz and contemporary music in all its forms. 

    He has written, arranged, recorded and performed works which defy easy categorisation for a range of settings - from solo piano to orchestra and as a result was recognised in his reception of the Freedman Fellowship (Jazz) in 2019 

Ten Part Invention ‘Tribute’

4pm Recital Hall West

  • Miroslav Bukovsky co-musical director, trumpet & flugelhorn

    Sandy Evans co-musical director & saxophones

    Paul Cutlan saxophones

    Andrew Robson saxophones

    John Mackey saxophones

    Warwick Alder trumpet

    James Greening trombone

    Steve Elphick contrabass

    Dave Goodman drums & cymbals

    Kevin Hunt piano

  • a truly legendary ensemble featuring a stellar cast of Australian jazz masters

    the Rolls-Royce of Australian large ensembles

    a deep dive into Australian jazz history with compositions from Roger Frampton but also one eye on the future featuring new original compositions and arrangements by current members of the band

  • “A living organism rather than a museum of memories” Sydney Morning Herald

    “The Rolls Royce of Australian Jazz“ Sydney Morning Herald

    “The premier large ensemble in Australian Jazz – and one of the finest anywhere” The Australian

    “As always, the virtuosity and musicianship are peerless” The Age, Melbourne

  • In this concert, Ten Part Invention will honour the remarkable life and music of Australian jazz drummer and bandleader, John Pochée OAM.

    John formed Ten Part Invention in 1986 to be a flexible medium for Australian jazz composers and improvisers. At its 1986 Adelaide Festival debut, both the audience and the players themselves agreed that a special feeling was generated immediately. Their innovative approach and original compositions have been an inspiration to the Australian contemporary jazz scene, their performances always colourful, thrilling and adventurous.

    John played with and led the band until 2011 when he retired through ill health, and the brilliant Dave Goodman joined as the drummer. John remained active with the band as leader and mentor until he passed away in November 2022.

    John commissioned around 80 original Australian compositions for Ten Part Invention. In this concert, Ten Part Invention will play some favourites by Roger Frampton, Miroslav Bukovsky and Sandy Evans and new works by Andrew Robson.

Laneous

1pm Recital Hall East

  • Laneous guitar, vocals & composer

    Barnaby McAll piano

    Jonathan Zwartz contrabass

    Hamish Stuart drums & cymbals

  • brilliant crafted pop/soul music delivered by some of Australia’s top jazz musicians

    a haunting and soulful voice

    a world premiere of this combination of musicians

    AD’s pick….this will be an absolute corker!

  • Laneous- Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue- a collection of songs by Laneous from the past present and future, as well as some respectfully borrowed, performed by Laneous himself, Barney McAll, Jonathan Zwartz and Hamish Stuart.

    Laneous is a singer, guitarist, composer and arranger of miscellaneous musics for the eclectic taste. Having began his career as a self taught jazz nerd, Laneous will be at home performing his songs with this legendary group of jazz musicians, including his good friend and long time collaborator Barney McAll. Laney and Barney have made records together and shared the stage many times, but never in this context, so that's exciting.

    Let's see how it goes! X

Zac Hurren Trio

1pm Music Café

  • Zac Hurren tenor saxophone

    Sam Anning contrabass

    Evan Mannell drums & cymbals

  • roaring and inventive tenor saxophone from a National Jazz Award winner

    music that embraces harmonic and rhythmic freedom

    incredible swing and feel from two master accompanists in Anning and Mannell

    a rare Sydney performance from one of Australia’s leading saxophonists

  • “Man, I think you’re really onto something!” Joe Lovano

  • A Jazz graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, Zac Hurren is a magnificent saxophonist who has performed with many Oz legends including Dale Barlow, Bernie McGann, Paul Grabowsky, John Hoffman, Katie Noonan and Sam Anning to name just a few.

    In 2009 Zac won the National Jazz Award and in 2012 was a Freedman Fellowship finalist. A truly unique and distinctly Australian saxophonist, composer and improviser, Zac plays with a strength and passion steeped in the jazz heritage of John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Steve Coleman and Archie Shepp.

    Zac is renowned for his ARIA award winning inspiring work with Elixir and his robust playing on the highly acclaimed debut album Exordium featuring his adventurous original work.

ANJO Youth Big Band w/ Remy Le Boeuf

4pm Music Workshop

  • Remy Le Boeuf composer, conductor and guest sax soloist

    2024 ANJO Youth Big Band

    artistic directors

    Mace Francis

    Nadje Noordhuis

    David Theak

    saxophones

    Tessie Overmyer (23) NSW

    Damon Poppleton (20) NSW

    Oscar Bruten (22) VIC

    Justin Yeo (19) NSW

    Alec Watts (21) NSW

    trumpets

    Harrison Ball (24) NSW

    Charlotte Newhouse (23) SA

    Thien Pham (20) VIC

    Arkie Moore (20) NSW

    trombones

    Julian McKay (23) NSW

    Kyle Chenoweth (23) VIC

    Jasmine Hall (23) SA

    Charlie Makaev (18) SA

    guitar

    Vincent Choy (23) WA

    piano

    James O’Brien (24) VIC

    contrabass

    Matt Ling (23) NSW

    drums

    Elliot Carter (21) NSW

  • one of the worlds most dynamic, 4 x Grammy nominated jazz composers

    the best of Australia’s young jazz musicians

    powerful writing, using the full range of the big band from delicate to powerful

    amazing rhythmic content that is exciting for the audience and challenging for the musician

  • “Radiant, Uncluttered beauty” The San Francisco Chronicle

    “Overwhelming Beauty” The New York Times

  • Remy Le Boeuf is a 4x Grammy-nominated composer and saxophonist whose music is rooted in the jazz tradition and overlaps into contemporary classical and indie-rock realms. Le Boeuf is also the founder and director of the jazz orchestra, Assembly of Shadows, as well as the Chief Conductor of the Nordkraft Big Band in Denmark. He has worked with a range of collaborators including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Linda Oh, HAIM, JACK Quartet, Dayna Stephens, Prefuse 73, and his identical twin brother Pascal, with whom he co-leads the experimental jazz quintet, Le Boeuf Brothers.

    With his debut jazz orchestra release, Assembly of Shadows (2019), Le Boeuf established himself as a unique voice with a penchant for cinematic majesty and melody-driven themes. Hailed by the New York Times for his music’s “overwhelming beauty,” he quickly earned two Grammy nominations for Best Instrumental Composition & Best Arrangement the following year. In 2021, he released a complementary sequel, Architecture of Storms (2021), showcasing his acrobatic saxophone playing while exploring the diversity of his emotions and influences. His sophomore album garnered two additional Grammy nominations for Best LargeJazz Ensemble Album and Best Arrangement, Instrumental or a Capella.

    Le Boeuf's list of honors include commissions from Chamber Music America, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra, as well as 7 ASCAP Young Composer Awards, the BMI Foundation's Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize, the Sammy Nestico Award, and the Copland House Residency Award. He has received additional awards from the American Composers Forum, Jerome Foundation, Copland Fund, YoungArts, Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation, New York Youth Symphony, International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers, and Society of Composers.

    Le Boeuf is the Director of Jazz and Commercial Music Studies and an Assistant Professor at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music.

    The ANJO Youth Big Band brings together our brightest and youngest jazz stars, aged 18 - 25, from across the nation. Entry to the ANJO Youth Big Band is by competitive, blindfold audition with the successful candidates travelling to Sydney for a week-long intensive with the special guest artist in preparation for this concert.

Phillip Johnston & The Greasy Chicken Orchestra

5pm Music Café

  • Phillip Johnston soprano sax

    Peter Farrar alto sax

    Tim Clarkson tenor sax

    Jim Loughnan baritone sax

    Peter Dasent piano

    Tim Rollinson banjo

    James Greening sousaphone

    Nic Cecire drums

  • swinging 20s & 30s jazz

    a celebration of the the music of New Orleans and beyond

    a concert piayed in the spirit of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton

    original compositions in the style of the ragtime era

  • “Johnston has always understood that jazz’s history is a rich resource rather than a liability, and with this band he immerses himself almost completely in this era of energised and good-humoured dance music . . . a nuanced and blended sonority, combined with an emphasis on pinpoint arrangements and concise solos.” John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald

  • The Greasy Chicken Orchestra has finely tuned their brand of swinging 20s/30s jazz in a two-year residency at Sydney’s Foundry616, featuring some of Sydney’s finest musicians as they celebrate the music of New Orleans and beyond. With a focus on early Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton, tunes include such early jazz classics as South Rampart Street Parade, Muskrat Ramble, and Frog-I-More Moore Rag.

    The band is led by Phillip Johnston, an American saxophonist/ composer who lives in Sydney while still maintaining a musical life in his hometown of New York City.

    In 2023, the GCO released its first recording on Earshift Records, entitled I Cakewalked With A Zombie (Earshift 081). The recording includes both original arrangements of classic tunes of the 20s & 30s, and original tunes by Phillip Johnston that pay homage to that era.

Microfiche

3pm Recital Hall East

  • Phillipa Murphy-Haste clarinet

    Sam Gill alto sax

    Nick Calligeros trumpet

    Novak Manojlovic piano

    Maximillian Alduca contrabass

    Holly Connor drums & cymbals

  • the music of tomorrow

    freedman award winning artistry

    lush, slightly tense sonic landscapes

    highly original minds with a compulsive narrative throughout

  • “The recording may well become a reference for the future up and coming generations of this country’s free jazz to utilise. It’s an ensemble to be admired and eagerly consumed” Barry O'Sullivan, Dingo Jazz Journal

    “The whole ensemble come together to create a lush, slightly tense sonic landscape that could be the closing credits to a film...the overall effect is spellbinding”  Hugh Robertson, Limelight Magazine

    “This music comes from highly original minds, with all nine pieces containing compulsive narratives and unique sound worlds…” John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald

  • Microfiche are one of the most creative and boundary-pushing improvising acts to emerge from the Australian jazz and new music scene in recent years. Since forming in 2015, Microfiche’s six individual members have become some of Australia’s most sought after and esteemed musicians, and collectively Microfiche has developed a recognisable musical language and telepathy all their own.

    Known for their intimate, conceptually adventurous, emotive, and carefully constructed live performances; Microfiche thrives on contrast: from intricate and textural ‘miniatures’ less than a minute long to extended durational works; the ensemble blurs what is improvised and what is composed.

    The ensemble invites the listener into spaces of meditative stillness; broad soundscapes; and slow, evolving loops; yet does not shy away from tight and rhythmic ensemble playing, highly melodic sections, and strong cathartic resolutions.

    Microfiche have performed across Sydney sharing bills with B05N (Aus jazz legends Phil Slater, Simon Barker, Matt McMahon), Tangents, and Roger Dean; toured Australia (10-date national tour incl. JOLT Arts Melbourne, Ainslie & Gorman Arts Canberra, MONA Tasmania & COMA Adelaide), toured in Europe (2019, incl. Copenhagen Jazz Festival, at RN1 decommissioned Nuclear Reactor Stockholm, and at KM28 supported by SPILL - Magda Mayas and Tony Buck).

    The group has collaborated on theatre works with dancers and performers, and performed across Sydney in jazz clubs, warehouse spaces, theatres, at festivals and special events (The Powerhouse Museum, Phoenix’s STRATA Festival, the nowNOW, and SIMA’s International Women's Festival’).

    Dedicated grassroots and DIY concert organisers, Microfiche masterminded a month-long residency and community events at Sydney arts institution 107 projects (2021). Australian artists across art-music, jazz, electro-acoustic music and folk-rock were invited to perform collaborative sets with Microfiche. Microfiche performed with Chris Abrahams (The Necks), Sia Ahmad (No Gold Label), Phil Slater, and Bonnie Stewart (Bonniesongs).

    Microfiche’s individual members represent the cutting-edge of Sydney’s contemporary instrumental music scene - 2 members have received The Freedman Jazz Fellowship, one of the most prestigious fellowships for jazz/improvised music in Australia - and 2 others have also been finalists in this same nation-wide award for emerging Australian artists.

Paper Tiger [CD Launch]

12pm Music Workshop

  • Jamie Oehlers saxophone

    Steve Magnusson guitar

    Ben Vanderwal drums & cymbals

  • beautiful soundscapes

    a bassless trio that gives guitar virtuoso Masnusson a platform for extreme interaction

    three of Australia’s most experienced and accomplished musicians

    AD’s pick….this will sound beautiful!

  • Launching their new album at the festival, Paper Tiger effortlessly blends tradition with innovation to create a sound uniquely their own.

    Comprising of three of Australia’s most accomplished jazz artists in Jamie Oehlers on saxophone, Steve Magusson on guitar and Ben Vanderwal on drums, their shared passion for stretching musical boundaries and interplay in improvisation creates an adventurous combination of intricate melodies, rhythmic textures, and tonal variation in every performance.

    As a truly collaborative ensemble, each member contributes original works, resulting in an array of styles and influences that help to define the group in performance – leaving an indelible mark on audiences and proving that their artistry is as compelling as the vibrant jazz scene they proudly represent in Australia.

Hamed Sadeghi ‘Empty Voices’

6pm Recital Hall West

  • Hamed Sadeghi persian tar

    Sandy Evans tenor & soprano saxophone

    Paul Cutlan bass clarinet

    Lloyd Swanton double bass

    Michael Avgenicos alto saxophone

    Tom Avgenicos trumpet

    Adem Yilmaz percussion

  • a philosophical journey into melancholy and mystique

    spellbinding compositions

    a musical homage to Sadeghi’s Persion culture with Jazz Influences

  • “...astonishing power and convulsive impact.” Sydney Morning Herald.

  • Multi-ARIA award nominee composer and Tar (Iranian lute) virtuoso, Hamed Sadeghi brings with him 6 world-class musicians for a brand-new work Empty Voices. Through his melancholic and spellbinding compositions, Sadeghi offers a unique and dazzling dialogue between a plucked section (tar, percussions, double bass) and a woodwind/brass section.

    The multi-generational ensemble led by Sadeghi and comprised of internationally renowned Australian Jazz figures Sandy Evans, Paul Cutlan and Lloyd Swanton and rising stars Michael Avgenicos, Thomas Avgenicos and Adem Yilmaz, delivers a mystique work.

    Influenced by Persian Sufism philosophy, Sadeghi says: “To be able to love someone or something honestly you need to be able to let yourself dissolve.”

    Sadeghi contemplates the notion of Love, with a musical homage to ancestral Persian culture. He uses a mix of classical and contemporary music traditions of both East and West.

    Empty Voices is a gift of purity, love and liberty.

    Let this music spread through your heart, leaving you empty of self-interest but filled with love.

James Sarno Group

5pm Recital Hall East

  • James Sarno (NY) trumpet

    Tessie Overmyer alto saxophone

    Lachlan Hamilton tenor saxophone

    Hugh Barrett piano

    Jacob Graham contrabass

    Tim Geldens drums & cymbals

  • swinging arrangements

    virtuosic trumpet playing

    a stellar cast of the musicians of tomorrow who are already making their mark internationally

    a homecoming event for one of the Sydney Con’s most dynamic exports

  • James Sarno is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

    In 2020 James moved to New York to study his master’s degree in jazz performance at The Juilliard School having been the only trumpet player to be accepted for the 2020 academic year.

    Since moving to New York, James has performed with many famous jazz musicians including Emmet Cohen, Joe Farnsworth, Benny Benack III, Samara Joy, Cyrille Aimee and more. James has also performed multiple times at Lincoln Center with the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra. James released his first album entitled Reflections in early 2020.

Cookbook

3pm Music Café

  • Darren Heinrich hammond organ

    Carl Dewhurst guitar

    Nick Bowd baritone saxophone

    Tim Firth drums & cymbals

  • a tribute to the seminal George Benson LP ‘cookbook’

    swinging jazz supported by the soulful sound of one of Australia’s leading Hammond organ exponents

    a good time band, working hard for the people

    great arrangements

  • Cookbook bandleader, Dr Darren Heinrich is an award-winning professional musician with over 30 years experience as a performer and composer, both domestically and internationally.

    His artistic residencies as a jazz organist include Rare Groove Mondays at Foundry 616, Ultimo, and Soul Jazz Sessions at Playbar, Surry Hills. He gigs regularly with his own trio and freelances on organ and piano with a wide variety of artists, both locally and abroad.

    Darren has studied in person with Hammond organ masters Dr. Lonnie Smith and Tony Monaco, and completed his PhD research in Jazz Organ Improvisation at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he currently lectures in Ensemble and Improvisation.

CONverge Series

The CONverge series showcases the amazing breadth of talent from within the Sydney Conservatorium Jazz Studies Course…from incredible staff members in our staff trio to the amazing young students who are forging paths as artists of tomorrow.

We hope you enjoy CONverge!

CONverge - OZ Jazz Legends

12pm Verbrugghen Hall

  • Andrew Robertson Conductor

    Sydney Conservatorium Jazz Orchestra 1 & The CONchords Jazz Choir

    Concert features original commissions from Adrian Mears, Sandy Evans, Andrew Robertson plus works for Big Band by Judy Bailey, Andrew Robertson and Nick Mulder

  • commissioned arrangements of original compositions by Australian Jazz Legends Don Burrows & Judy Bailey

    the unusual pairing of Jazz Big Band and choir

    a mega-musical undertaking by Australia’s leading young musicians

CONverge - Mosaic

7pm Recital Hall East

  • Mosaic features Sydney Conservatorium Students:

    Leo Marland saxophone

    Aidan Wong saxophone

    Lachie Eggert saxophone

    Chiara Minotto saxophone

    Sarah Morrison trumpet

    Braden Clarke trumpet

    Lee Orszaczky trombone

    Ravi T-Ray piano

    James Watt contrabass

    Matt Simmonds drums & cymbals

  • creative composition

    large ensemble writing that honours the tradition of Ten Part Invention

    the voices of the future

  • Mosaic gives me great hope for the future of creative original music in Australia, hearing younger musicians brave enough to present it with dedication and Enthusiasm!

    James Ryan, The Subterraneans, Sonic Mayhem

  • Mosaic is a vibrant 10-piece contemporary Jazz ensemble that is rapidly emerging as an exciting force in the Sydney Jazz scene.

    Mosaic specialise in all-original compositions commissioned both from members of the band and hand-picked young composers from a diverse background culminating in a fresh and innovative sound spanning a broad array of genres

CONverge in the Atrium

1pm - 7.30pm Atrium

  • Kevin Hunt piano

    Craig Scott contrabass

    Andrew Dickeson drums & cymbals

  • Sabine Tapia contrabass

    Tom Odell piano

    Matt Simmons drums & cymbals

  • Alex Grace trombone

    Zac Sandilands piano

    Matt Ling contrabass

    Jack Rosenzweig drums & cymbals