A three-day programme of boundary-pushing, strings-driven music will take over Metro Arts in Brisbane, for Restrung Festival.
Celebrated musicians, emerging talent, bespoke events, unique collaborations and more are sprinkled throughout the three days – it's an exploration of the spaces within and between musical and artistic genres of classical, electronica, folk, jazz, rock, pop, minimalism and more.
With so much on offer, Restrung Artistic Director Danielle Bentley has listed for us five highlights of this year's festival.
One
Tess King and Voltfruit Double Bill. First-time Restrungers – young guns Tess King and Voltfruit will absorb us into a fantastical electronic world of sound and strings. This double bill features captivating physicality: expect not just instrumental strings but concepts and visions of tangled webs and invisible threads. Improvisation and composition, acoustic and electronic sounds will merge and permutate, creating a new sound world of joyous – and sometimes challenging – stories of the individual in the modern world.Two
Dreaming in the Sand. When GANGgajang’s Robbie James asked my quintet to premiere his new work, 'Dreaming In The Sand', we leapt at the opportunity. Uplifting and richly seeped in gorgeous strings, 'Dreaming In The Sand' is a story of Australia. This three-act quintet work imagines our country through the eyes of the animals, and Suzannah the convict. Finally, a musical vision evokes a future where everyone lives in peace. An homage to all those displaced, past and present, this work will resonate in our hearts well beyond the performance itself.Three
David Bentley Trio with Shenzo & Danielle. I always love to play with my papa David. . . and I’m really excited for this first-time collaboration with inimitable violin virtuoso Shenzo, the trio and myself. We will be playing a mix of David’s signature New Orleans-inspired jazz and blues originals and classic tunes. DB3 is a mainstay of Restrung, bringing a strings-soaked celebration of jazz-meets-classical songs to the programme. David is internationally-renowned for his classic Python Lee Jackson hit 'In a Broken Dream' (feat. Rod Stewart), recently remixed – a worldwide hit – by Harlem hip hop legend A$AP Rocky.Four
Killing Music by Topology. Opening the festival with a bang, and with a 13-year history of enrapturing Restrung audiences, Topology returns! 'Killing Music' will be a pulse-driven, evocative celebration of renewal and optimism, featuring some of Topology’s most iconic works. Preceding the show, Aunty Delmae Barton will honour us with a Blessing and Acknowledgement of Country.Five
Closing Party: Estampa. I could not think of a better way to close Restrung than with party band Estampa! Join us on the dance floor for upbeat Brazilian Bossa Novas, Scandinavian folk and Parisian Jazz numbers. . . Bringing Restrung 2021 to a fabulous finish, in fitting fun style.Restrung Festival takes place at Metro Arts (West End) 14-16 October.
