Meeting Points Series: Of Deities and Demons
Of Deities and Demons is the second concert in the Meeting Points Series taking place at The Pavilion in Arts Centre Melbourne on Sunday 8 December.
In a rapturous celebration of ancient Sri Lankan culture, audiences will dive into an ecstatic celebration of music and ritualistic dance with Baliphonics and the Australian Art Orchestra. In a spectacle of music, light and dance – led by Susantha Rupathilaka and Prasanna Rupathilka featuring drummer Sumudi Suraweera – this performance will draw upon an astrological healing practice known as Bali Ritual, in which deities are invoked and demons exorcised. This Meeting Points Series exclusive will thrill audiences through an intense and visceral experience, bringing together the powerful art form of Sri Lankan ritual music with Australia’s leading contemporary ensemble.
Meeting Points Series is a creative collaboration between Arts Centre Melbourne and the Australian Art Orchestra and is an intimate collection of concerts bringing together musical styles from across the globe in unexpected collaborations curated by Artistic Director Peter Knight.
The Australian Art Orchestra’s work, under the leadership of daring composer, trumpeter, and sound artist Peter Knight, constantly seeks to stretch genres and break down the barriers separating disciplines, forms and cultures. It explores the interstices between the avant-garde and the traditional, between art and popular music, between electronic and acoustic approaches, and creates music that traverses the continuum between improvised and notated forms.
The City of Melbourne is a principal funder of the Meeting Points Series.
SIMA and Australian Art Orchestra present
Jazz: NOW Summer: Of Deities and Demons
Annandale Creative Arts Centre, Sydney | 5 pm | 7 December
Bookings at sima.org.au
Arts Centre Melbourne and Australian Art Orchestra present
Meeting Points Series: Of Deities and Demons
The Pavilion | 5 pm | 8 December
Bookings at artscentremelbourne.com.au
Artist Biographies
Sumudi Suraweera – composer, drummer and music producer (Colombo/Sri Lanka)
Sumudi Suraweera attained his doctorate in Ethnomusicology in 2010 from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. His research focused on Sri Lankan Low-Country traditional drumming. In his own ensembles, Sumudi leans his focus on experimentation with Sri Lankan traditional musical material. Aside from the Baliphonics, he has initiated other collaborative groups including the Serendib Sorcerers and the Musicmatters Transcoastal Collective.
Prasanna Rupathilaka – dance, yak bera and voice (Colombo/Sri Lanka)
Prasanna Rupathilaka is a rare exponent and respected teacher of both Kandyan and Low Country Drumming forms. His ritual experience began from the age of fifteen when he started accompanying his father, and his contemporary work began in 1989 as an artist for the International Peace Council of Sri Lanka. Prasanna is a member of the Sri Lankan State Dance Ensemble and has performed at the WOMAD Festivals in Singapore and Sri Lanka.
Susantha Rupathilaka – dance and voice (Colombo/Sri Lanka)
Susantha Rupathilaka was exposed to ritual performances from a young age through his father and grandfather. He has also been a member of the State Dance Ensemble and is currently the only permanent traditional musician at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Cooperation. He has performed with leading dance ensembles and artists, most notably the Chithrasena Dance Ensemble, Budhawatta Dance Ensemble, Ravibandu Vidyapathi and Panibaratha.
Reuben Derrick – saxophone and clarinets (Colombo/Sri Lanka)
Reuben Derrick’s (PhD Musical Arts Research, University of Canterbury) practice draws upon field recording, improvisation and electroacoustic composition. He is a member of the Cantabrian Society of Sonic Artists, has performed at The Nowhere Festival (Auckland, 2018) as well as Music Matters Festival (Colombo, 2016) and was awarded a fellowship to the Music Omi residency (New York, 2015).
Mary Rapp – cello (Sydney)
Mary Rapp is a multidisciplinary musician, composer and sound designer as well as a vocalist trained in the Korean Pansori singing tradition. Her debut album “By ONe of thE night” was launched in 2019 by Sydney’s Improvised Music Association. The Sydney Morning Herald gave the album 4 stars and described it as a “stunning debut“.
Carl Dewhurst – guitar (Sydney)
Carl Dewhurst is one of the country’s most highly regarded jazz and improvising guitarists. His creative interests are diverse and he can easily be heard over the course of a week effortlessly traversing jazz, blues, R&B, free jazz and improv. Carl is a lecturer in Jazz and Improvised Music at Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Reuben Lewis – trumpet, electronics (Melbourne)
Reuben Lewis’ latest album, ‘Abstract Playgrounds’, was described in The Wire as “a beguiling stew of afro-beat, jazz-rock-inflected postbop, and electro-acoustic noise” and earnt his group I Hold the Lion’s Paw a nomination for Best Australian Jazz Ensemble in the Jazz Bell Awards. Reuben is the AAO Pathfinders Associate Artist for 2019/2020.
Peter Knight – trumpet, electronics (Melbourne)
Peter Knight is a multidisciplinary musician who has gained wide acclaim for his distinctive approach. In 2013, he was appointed Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra, which features his compositions internationally with recent highlights including London Jazz Festival, Jazztopad (Poland), and Melbourne Festival.
For more information about the Arts Centre Melbourne, please visit www.artscentremelbourne.com.au or phone 1300 182 183. Become a fan of Arts Centre Melbourne on Facebook or follow @artscentremelb on Twitter and Instagram.
