MARCH 29-31 Chamber music festival celebrates women in music

3MBS Fine Music Melbourne | Music She Wrote

3MBS Fine Music Melbourne is back for a third year of their chamber music festival celebrating women in music. Dreamed up in the depths of lockdown, Music, She Wrote continues into a new landscape of live music. Partnering once again with iconic Melbourne fashion label Alpha60, the festival will see Alpha60’s stunning flagship store Chapter House on Flinders Lane transformed into a very special, intimate concert venue for three nights, March 29-31.

“Music, She Wrote exists to tell women’s stories in our own musical voices,” says artistic director Katie Yap. “This year’s festival revolves around the theme of breaking step, cutting loose, and the courage required to speak up with an authentic voice. Society expects women to behave and appear in very specific ways, and we want to shake things up a little, using the intimate medium of chamber music to convey that.”

“One of the things I’ve loved about partnering with Alpha60 is that Chapter House has such stunning acoustics. With its wooden interior and vaulted ceilings, it’s a space where chamber music really shines. Each group is chosen with that particular acoustic in mind, and I’m so excited for this year’s line-up of Melbourne’s most exciting chamber musicians and ensembles.”

Concert 1: Turning In

The first concert reflects the moment of stillness before change: a quiet breath of introspection, of thought, of turning in. 

Pianist Georgina Lewis and soprano Billie Tumarkin join forces to take a journey to the inner landscape of the soul, with works from across the globe. Known for her sensitivity and authentic, unfiltered musicality, as well as her curation of captivating programs, Lewis is a cornerstone of Melbourne’s chamber music scene. Turning In sees her collaborate with Billie Tumarkin, a young singer at the intersection of classical, folk, and contemporary music. Billie draws on her Ukrainian heritage to dedicate herself to learning song traditions of many different cultures, and 2023 sees her begin her Masters degree in opera singing at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

Turning In muses on the acts of weaving, women’s work, and journeying. From 1930’s Czechoslovakia, to Ukrainian art songs, to Canadian minimalism, and the vibrancy of American Missy Mazzoli, Lewis and Tumarkin’s program is richly coloured and deeply touching.

Concert 2: Breaking Step

The festival’s central concert marks the act of breaking step, of venturing out from the status quo. Melbourne’s beloved contemporary art music ensemble Rubiks Collective has championed female composers since their inception in 2015, through their own concerts and the Pythia Prize, a composition prize specifically for women composers.

Rubiks brings their signature dynamism and vivacity to Chapter House, with the vibrant combination of piano (Jacob Abela), percussion (Kaylie Melville), cello (Gemma Kneale) and flute (Tamara Kohler). With a particular interest in storytelling and cross-art collaboration, Rubiks has quickly established a reputation for excellence, delighting audiences with their unique programming and dazzling virtuosity.

Concert 3: New Beginnings

The final concert celebrates the new paths that emerge after change. Cellist and 2022 winner of 3MBS’s young artist prize, The Talent, Ceridwen McCooey takes the stage totell her story of forging her own path. With a program of original works, including a world premiere, her music draws on the clarity of contemporary classical music, combining it with the freedom of improvisation, using live looped layers to create rich, ever-changing textures.

Prog-baroque quartet Croissants & Whiskey, formed in the midst of 2020 lockdowns, rounds off the festival. Representing a new direction for baroque instruments, theirs is an unconventional blend of harpsichord (Joy Lee), recorders (Ryan Williams), baroque viola (Katie Yap), and G violone (Miranda Hill). They are quickly becoming known for the musicality, flair, and humour they bring to their performances, blending the sonorous with the sharp, and drawing audiences from around the state.

Music, She Wrote: a festival celebrating women in music is proudly supported by Alpha60, the Angior Family Foundation, and Australian Communities Foundation.

Wednesday 29 March, 8:00-9:30PM Turning In

Thursday 30 March, 8:00-9:30PM Breaking Step

Friday 31 March, 8:00-9:30PM New Beginnings

Chapter House, Flinders Lane

BOOKINGS: Online at www.musicshewrote.com.au or call 3MBS at 03 9416 1035