Ensemble Trivium are bringing together some of Brisbane’s best classical and jazz talent for Locally Sourced.
Monika Koerner (flute) and Glenn Prohasky (bassoon) are behind Ensemble Trivium, a Brisbane-based chamber group.
What’s special about the group is that Monika and Glenn invite guests of all musical backgrounds to play with them to complete the trivium. These artists generally include piano, clarinet or percussion soloists.
What’s even more special about the group is they're committed to creating fresh, acoustic concerts to help bring a new vibe to chamber and classical music.
Locally Sourced, which is happening at Redland Performing Arts Centre next month, will see Monika and Glenn perform pieces from five local composers: Robert Davidson (Topology), John Parker (Trichotomy), Steve Newcomb, Rafael Karlen and Thomas Green. “It’s a really cool project,” Monika says.
“We’ve commissioned five local Brisbane composers that will help complete the trio. I think classical music has had a bit of a bad name and a lot of people still think it’s boring and old fashioned.
“By pairing these new composers, from all different genres, we can guarantee it won’t be boring,” she says.
Joining Ensemble Trivium on-stage for Locally Sourced will be Nozomi Omoto playing percussion or Nicholas Harmsen on clarinet. But it is up to the guest composers as to who will complete the trio. Without giving to much away, Monika says: “Two have chosen clarinet and three have chosen percussion.”
With the guest composers coming for a variety of backgrounds, concertgoers are set for even more surprises. “The composition are not jazz per se, but they have jazz elements in them. It’s a really great mix of ideas and music; it’s all slightly different. It’s not your average classical music concert,” she says.
“The music is all new stuff, very accessible to listen to, and what’s also great is it's new-listening from award-winning composers.”
With the main focus of the event to keep things local, Monika says it’s exciting to have so much local talent. “I guess the main thing about Locally Sourced is that it is purely everyone from Brisbane. "I think it’s important because, especially in Australia, there is a focus on people from overseas being better, but it's good and important to not always look elsewhere and support what’s at home too.”
The well-known and much-loved Redland Performing Arts Centre will be playing host for the night full of music, which Monika says will give audiences a different aspect of classical music.
“The Redland Performing Arts Centre, it’s a really great venue on Morten Bay and we look forward to playing there”, she says. “They have a diverse programme from classical symphony to jazz to cabaret and dance; they have a mixed bag of performances which gives people a good choice from all different things”.
Keeping things extra local for the event, artists will feature outfits from fashion designer, Sharka Bosakova. “We will be wearing tops from a local fashion designer, she has designed some tops just for the girls and they’re beautiful”, Monika says. “They’re silk and asymmetrical, really cool stuff."
Monika wants audiences to “support local talent, support the local scene and to give something else a try. Go to something you’ve never been to, hear great music and try something new”.
