MUSIC IN THE SKY set to transform the interior of the Roundhouse into a kaleidoscopic feast for the eyes
Celebrated pianist Luke Howard joins forces with The Nano Symphony for this kaleidoscopic music experience.
The upcoming kaleidoscopic experience Music in The Sky is set to transform the interior of the Roundhouse and transport audiences into an ethereal realm of sound and light.
Love, life, dreams and memories are woven together in this intimate conversation with music, says creator Keith Hong
For Music in The Sky, classically-trained pianist Luke Howard and The Nano Symphony perform as a six-piece ensemble reimagining popular classical works including Debussy’s Rêverie, Eric Satie’s Gymnopedie No.1 and Gnossienne No.3 together with contemporary compositions in a contemplative neoclassical style that stirs the heart and emotions.
These compositions are enhanced by motion graphics and digital projections to create an immersive musical evening like no other. Beamed through six 10k projectors, Music in The Sky‘s imagery journeys from sunset into dreaming, through space to sunrise. Imagery, colour and tempo all sync to each musical moment during the intimate 75-minute shows, with twilight and moonlight sessions each evening on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 May 2021.
The emotive nature of the music is the very heart of this event, something that draws audiences in a non-traditional way. The simplicity and authenticity of piano, strings and clarinet kindle an intimate connection between musicians and audience, explains Hong.
Adding to the theatrics of each performance will be contemporary dancers who will draw on the music and mood; interpreting the shifting sonic landscape that resonates from Luke Howard’s piano accompanied by The Nano Symphony.
“This evocative journey is really an invitation for audiences to recover from the year that wasn’t, to dream about the future and envisage the possibilities ahead. Through contemporary classical music, we aim to amplify the renewal of hope after such a challenging period. That, along with the choreographed visuals and movement, will make this a truly unique experience,” says Hong, who came up with the concept during the COVID lockdown of 2020.
In his ten years in the Australian events space and as an executive producer, Keith Hong has worked across Sports, Food and Wine, Arts and Business events with leading companies Fairfax Media and Nine Entertainment as well as on major government events including Australia’s biggest citizenship ceremony and 16 Hour Program held on Australia Day 2019. In 2015, Keith founded RunNation, a successful running themed film festival that is now showing across 19 countries.
Keith has been instrumental in the success of Australia Day (City of Parramatta, 2018, 2019 / Northern Beaches, 2020); Tommy Caldwell & Keith Jorgeson Live on Stage National Tour 2019; Loy Krathong (biggest Thai lantern festival outside Thailand) 2017, 2018, 2019; Parramasala 2017, 2018; City2Surf (biggest running event in the world) 2012 – 2019; Sydney Running Festival 2016]; Good Food Month / Night Noodle Market 2012 – 2015; and Gourmet Escape WA 2019.
Music has always been close to Keith’s heart. Not content with being an adult piano student, he embarked to create a unique experience to deliberately bridge the gap between his generation and modern contemporary, neoclassical music. Together with producer Paul Osborne, Music in The Sky was conceived.
Australian Music Prize twice-longlisted composer Luke Howard’s music has been described as “absolutely heavenly” (Mary Anne Hobbs, BBC Radio 6) and as “an ambient masterclass” (Musos’ Guide), but no words can fully capture the potency of Howard’s enthralling compositions.
A pianist since childhood, Howard has scored films and performed with artists as diverse as Lior and Jeff Mills, captivating audiences with contemporary classical arrangements that curl and twist around the boundaries of a particular emotion. Without lyrics, Howard’s ‘songs’ perform a function unique to music as a medium – that of evoking without describing – bringing listeners into feelings that defy articulation.
Signed to UK label Mercury KX, the past year has seen the release of Howard’s third solo album Open Heart Story, which explores fragmented relationships, childhood memories and the passage of time. He has also toured extensively with shows in Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg (Elbphilharmonie), Istanbul, London, Moscow, and Warsaw.
Back home in Melbourne, Howard recently composed music for the short film The Sand That Ate the Sea (winner of Best Music for a Short Film at the 2020 APRA | SGSC Screen Music Awards and nominated for best soundtrack in the 2019 ARIA Awards) and the theatre work The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes (Back to Back Theatre). He has worked with choreographer Juliano Nunes on pieces for the Royal Ballet in Covent Garden, and the Atlanta Ballet.
Howard is one of Australia’s foremost practitioners of contemporary classical music whose work continues to enthral audiences worldwide.
Tickets for Music in the Night are now on sale.
Venue: Roundhouse, University of NSW, Anzac Parade, Kensington NSW 2052
Limited Season: Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 May 2021
Performances: Twilight Session: 6:00pm to 7:15pm
Moonlight Session: 8:15pm to 9:30pm
Tickets/Bookings: www.musicinthesky.com.au
