MCL Annual General Meeting

Sunday, February 12th, 2017, Richmond Library Meeting Room

Present. Eve Duncan (President), Johanna Selleck (Vice-President), Andrián Pertout (Secretary), Antonio Tenace (Treasurer), Colin McKellar

In Attendance. Houston Dunleavy, George Dreyfus, Peter Graham, Haydn Reeder, Silvia Simons, Julia Tahourdin

Apologies. Brendan Colbert Howard Dillon, Susan Frykberg, David Keeffe, Caerwen Martin, Wendy Suiter

1. Greetings.

2017 – 19th Year (MCL Annual General Meeting)

2. Adopting of the Minutes of the previous AGM.

Moved (by Johanna Selleck), Seconded (by Antonio Tenace), Carried. The minutes of the meeting of Sunday, February 21, 2016 were read and confirmed as a true and correct record of the matters raised.

3. MCL Chairperson’s Report, 2016 (February 2017)

The year was characterized by a wide range of activities and undertakings by the ’ League. The activities included the Australian-Japan Exchange Concert, Subterranean Sonorities, for low flutes, viola and harp (preceded by a workshop by Peter Sheridan on low flutes), a co-production concert Western Prospects in New South Wales, and lively and diverse Elbow Room concerts.

The Elbow Room concerts allow a diversity of music across collaborative, electronic, interactive, vocal and instrumental music to be presented. In a way, they express the heart of our organisation, and they are open and diverse across a broad range of styles and materiality. The concerts have been extraordinary events because of the activity and artistry presented by the performers and composers. The April concert at Monsalvat was based around piano, and was extremely well received. The Wesley Anne concerts at Northcote gave the inner-city snap of the city to these concerts. Thank you to Colin McKellar, Johanna Selleck, Paul Moulatlet and the others who helped with their organisation. Thanks especially to those who have participated in these concerts.

Subterranean Sonorities, for low flutes, viola and harp, was performed by Peter Sheridan (low flutes), Anthony Chataway (viola), Jacinta Dennett (harp) and Namatjira Morgan (yidaki[didjeridu]) at Trinity Uniting Church on November 26th, 2016. The Melbourne Composers’ League members whose music was performed were John Arthur Grant, Paul Moulatlet, Andrián Pertout, Johanna Selleck and Silvia Simons. The concert attracted a large amount of submissions of scores by our

Melbourne Composers’ League, PO Box 2518, Fitzroy Business Centre, 3065,

Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.melbournecomposersleague.com members. Three Japanese composers, Isao Matsushita, Kaori Nabeshima and Rui Ogawa were hosted by the Melbourne Composers’ League and we enjoyed eating, talking and walking with them.

Early in their visit, only a few hours off the plane, Colin McKellar and I took Kaori Nabeshima and Rui Ogawa to Westerfolds Park in Templestowe, where we came across many kangaroos in the wild, who allowed us to approach them quite closely. The day after the concert, Andrián and Katija Pertout and myself took Isao Matsushita and Izumi Miyoshi to Phillip Island to visit the penguins. These meetings with Australian nature enchanted our visitors, and along with the chance to meet and work with Australian musicians and performers really made the exchange venture worthwhile.

As an event with the Japan Federation of Composers, it is also an exchange concert. Composers Andrian Pertout, Johanna Selleck and Bruce Crossman will have their works performed in Tokyo on March 29th, 2017 and they will attend rehearsals and the concert there with didjeridu performer Namatjira Morgan. The earlier workshop that supported this concert was given by virtuoso Peter Sheridan, and it was a lively and inspiring event for those of us that attended it at the Meeting Room in the Edinburgh Gardens, Fitzroy. Learning about these low flutes through demonstration and score excerpts was an ear-opening experience. In addition, Peter was most encouraging of composers in venturing into these sound worlds.

In 2016 we held a landmark event that was the first Melbourne Composers’ League concert in New South Wales. As we have many interstate members, particularly from NSW, we had envisioned the event for many years. The concert, Western Prospects, Western Sydney University, was a part of the inaugural Creativity Unlimited Festival that marked the opening of the impressive new music building at the Penrith Campus, not far from the Blue Mountains in western Sydney. This was organised in connection with MCL member and WSU Associate Professor, Music, Bruce Crossman. The concert was one of solo piano music performed by . The composers whose music was played in the concert were Diana Blom, Brendan Colbert, Joseph Giovinazzo, Antonio Tenace, Christina Green, Chloe Hulewicz, Petar Jovanov, Andrián Pertout and Peter Myers. Michael referred to this event, which was taxing for him as a performer in the extreme, as a Lisztian event of the sharing by compositional peers of new ideas. His description was apt, for a concert of music that was rich and extraordinary.

Melbourne Composers’ League members were represented and attended the 34th Asian Composers League Festival and Conference in Vietnam. This was also held with the 2nd Asia-Europe New Music Festival in Vietnam, which meant that music from thirty countries was performed. The events took place in Hanoi and Vinh Yen City and the Australian composers, Natalya Wagner, Johanna Selleck, Andrián Pertout, Stephen Lebsanft and myself enjoyed really good performances. Natalya Wagner’s work incorporated the Dàn Bâu, the monochord zither and national instrument of Vietnam in a most inspiring way. The Australian instrumentations were diverse, from brass sextet to solo piano to solo viola to ensemble with choir, and we all enjoyed wonderful musicians.

I represented Australia on the Executive Committee of the Asian Composers’ League in 2016. This was noteworthy, because in the absence of presenting ACL Festivals, Australia is still contributing in a positive way to the ACL. In addition, our cross-cultural concerts with countries from the Asia Pacific are a solid contribution to ACL life and activities. The Chairman of the Asian Composers’ League Isao Matsushita discussed the possibility of an Australian ACL Festival when he was in Melbourne for the exchange concert in November. I reminded him that our national funding is not set up for these international composition events, and that I hope that a shared Victorian – New South Wales ACL Festival can eventuate in the future.

Melbourne Composers’ League, PO Box 2518, Fitzroy Business Centre, Victoria 3065, Australia

Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.melbournecomposersleague.com Our undertakings included the continued work towards a Melbourne Composers’ League compact disc and investigations into funding. The MCL Executive Committee met with independent producer Anna Monea who gave us a presentation on working with us to create funding opportunities. This may be followed up at a later stage at the instigation of Executive Committee.

As I am standing down after four years as Chairman, I would like to thank the Executive Committee very deeply. They have provided a strong commitment to a wide range of events in times of competitive funding, and many have attended a lot of meeting of our committee where our future events and possibilities are discussed. This includes our curated concerts, Elbow Room concerts, CD production and workshops, internet presence through a revamped website and Facebook presence and sound financial management. I would like to thank all the members of the Melbourne Composers’ League for their creativity and inspirational music over many kinds of composed, interactive, improvised and collaborative music. What I have heard in these four years has reminded me that our organisation is a quiet achiever that helps to lead wonderful new music along its path in the wider world.

Eve Duncan February 11th 2017

4. Treasurer’s Report.

MCL Financial Report

1. FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2015 – 2016 (finalised)

 Total Income for financial year = $7,636.93  Majority of Income: $3,200 from grants $2,385 from membership subscriptions

 Total Expenditure for financial year = $8,679.43

 Majority of Expenses: $6,020 in performance fees The rest of the sub-totals are normal concert and operating expenses

 Net Total for this period = - $882.50 (Deficit)

 Deficit resulting from: Additional concert expenses (flights for performers $555.57) [cross reference P4] Low Flutes Workshop held at the Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy on 6 Feb 2016 (room hire $128.20 [cross reference P6] + performance fees $200 [cross reference P8])

 Revenue (account balance 30 June 2015) 4,783.21 [cross reference P1]  Net Total (overall total) - 882.50

 Account balance (30 June 2016) $3,900.71 [cross reference P11]

Melbourne Composers’ League, PO Box 2518, Fitzroy Business Centre, Victoria 3065, Australia

Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.melbournecomposersleague.com During this financial period, $160 was transferred from the Donation Funds account on 21 September 2015 to cover additional expenses for the “Where are the sounds of joy” ABC concert at the Iwaki Auditorium [cross reference P4 & P22]. There was also a $100 dishonoured cheque from the City of Yarra which was first deposited on 18 March and thereafter debited by the CBA on 22 March 2016. The re-issued $100 cheque from the City of Yarra was deposited on 7 April 2016 [cross reference P9]. These amounts are reflected in the Total Inflows and Total Outflows of the MCL financial statement.  Total Income 7,636.93  Total Transfers 160 (from Donation Funds account)  Re-issued cheque 100 (from City of Yarra)

 TOTAL INFLOWS $7,896.93

 Total Expenses 8,679.43  Dishonoured cheque 100 (from City of Yarra)

 TOTAL OUTFLOWS $8,779.43

2. CURRENT FINANCIAL POSITION (1 July 2016 – 12 February 2017)

At the end of the previous financial year (30 June 2016), there were upcoming expenses pending for the Western Prospects concert held at Western Sydney University as well as the Subterranean Sonorities concert with the Japanese composers at Trinity Uniting Church in Brighton. The expected income included $1,200 from Bayside City Council and $2,000 from APRA. The Bayside City Council grant of $2,400 was distributed in $1,200 equal parts over two financial years i.e. (1st deposit on 29 January 2016 [cross reference P7] + 2nd deposit on 30 August 2016 [cross reference P13]). The $2,000 APRA grant (received annually since 2003) was denied in 2016 for unknown reasons and did not eventuate, leaving the MCL in a position to self-fund a substantial amount for upcoming concert expenses. Unfortunately, this APRA decision and notification was to say at the very least, untimely.

Since the MCL had already made a commitment to the Japanese Federation of Composers for reciprocal concerts in both Melbourne and Tokyo, the agreement included accommodation provisions for both the Japanese and Australian composers respectively. The MCL has honoured its commitment and provided accommodation for the visiting Japanese composers in relation to the Subterranean Sonorities concert presented at Trinity Uniting Church in Brighton on 26 November 2016. The amount of $1,859.80 was paid in advance by the MCL on 25 August 2016 for 3 nights accommodation at Quest Gordon Place, 24 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000 [cross reference P13]. The MCL subsequently presented both the Subterranean Sonorities and Western Prospects concerts in 2016 and covered all expenditures related to these events; however, during this period, the bank balance became critically low ($80.30) on 1 December 2016 due primarily to the unsuccessful outcome of the aforementioned APRA grant. As a consequence, the MCL Treasurer transferred $1000 from his personal bank account and directly credited this amount into the MCL bank account on 1 December 2016, to help shore up the critically low capital in order to cover the remaining concert expenses and avoid outstanding debts [cross reference P18]. Hence, this $1000 bank balance cover will be reimbursed in total to the MCL Treasurer upon the accumulation and availability of funds in the MCL bank account at a later time this year.

Melbourne Composers’ League, PO Box 2518, Fitzroy Business Centre, Victoria 3065, Australia

Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.melbournecomposersleague.com

3. MCL BANKING

 Business Transaction Account Closing balance $64.41 on 31 January 2017 [cross reference P19] Current balance $189.41 $1000 bank balance cover to be reimbursed to the MCL Treasurer upon the availability of funds

$500 will be reserved for the upcoming CD project upon the availability of funds

 Donation Funds Account Opening balance $171.20 on 1 July 2015) [cross reference P20] $30 in public donations was transferred to the Business Transaction Account on 29 November 2016 to cover additional concert expenses [cross reference P18 & P34]

Closing balance $6.20 on 1 February 2017 [cross reference P34] is the current balance

 PayPal Account Current balance $37.57 (from CD sales & Donations) [cross reference P36] Linked directly to the MCL website which contains the facility to make public donations as well as buying CDs on-line

Current balance to remain in PayPal account for the time being to avoid bank fees

4. ELBOW ROOM CONCERT FUNDS Since the Elbow Room concert series was resurrected in August 2013, there have been 7 concerts presented that have contributed $2,177.19 from the box office. From this amount, there has been $690 expended for performance fees, room hire and royalties leaving a surplus of $1,487.19 which has contributed valuably to the MCL’s annual revenue. This overall total has been integrated into the finalised MCL financial statements as Box Office Receipts (Income) for the respective periods.

Melbourne Composers’ League, PO Box 2518, Fitzroy Business Centre, Victoria 3065, Australia

Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.melbournecomposersleague.com

5. MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS

 59 Full members (5 up from last year)  23 Associate members (2 up from last year)  4 Honorary members  Membership subscriptions currently in arrears = $690 (15 members)

6. ONLINE PROFILE The updated MCL website now includes PayPal facilities for buying CDs as well as public donations. It contains new listings for concerts, call-for-scores and other useful information which members can use as a valuable resource, and is also linked to Youtube, Soundcloud, Facebook and Google+. The composers page contains listings of members that have hyperlinks to their own websites for more information.

5. Asian Composers’ League Delegate’s Report: ACL Vietnam Festival

34th Asian Composers League Festival and Conference / 2nd ‘Asia-Europe’ New Music Festival, Vietnam by Andrián Pertout

Andrián Pertout reports from the 2016 Asian Composers League (ACL) Festival & Conference / ‘Asia-Europe’ New Music Festival in Vietnam.

Established in 1973 as a means of promoting the art music activities in Asian countries and fostering mutual exchange between these countries, the Asian Composers’ League (ACL) is a contemporary music organisation in the Asia-Pacific region currently comprising of fourteen official member countries and regions: Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Tatarstan, Thailand, and Turkey. The inaugural ACL Conference and Festival took place in Hong Kong in 1973, and since then events have been organised annually or biennially.

Melbourne Composers’ League, PO Box 2518, Fitzroy Business Centre, Victoria 3065, Australia

Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.melbournecomposersleague.com The 34th Asian Composers League Festival and Conference was held in Hanoi and Vinh Yen on 12-18 October 2016, organised by the Vietnam Musicians’ Association. The seven-day event also incorporated the 2nd ‘Asia-Europe’ New Music Festival and consisted of eleven concerts dedicated to symphony orchestra, chamber music, choral music, and traditional music, as well as a special ‘Friendship Melodies’ concert and the obligatory ‘ACL Young Composers Competition’ concert.

The slogan for this year’s festival was ‘Music: Convergence and Pervasion’, and included was a workshop component featuring the Vietnamese dan bau (monochord zither) as well as topics relating to aspects of the Asia/Europe cultural exchange. The participants of the festival consisted of over 100 composers from Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, France, , Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Russian, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Tatarstan, Thailand, Turkey, USA, and Vietnam.

The young composer selected to represent Australia was Stephen Lebsanft from Melbourne (a current student from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, ) with the work Rhapsody for solo viola (2016), presented as part of the ‘ACL Young Composers Competition’ concert at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. Other representation from Australia included Eve Duncan’s The Banquet of Cleopatra and In a Corner of the Macintyre for brass quintet (2016), Andrián Pertout’s Angustam Amice for choir (SATB) and string orchestra, no. 428 (2014-2015) - which was performed by the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet Choir and the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Zoe Zeniodi (Greece/USA), Johanna Selleck’s Homage to Liszt for solo piano (2013) and Natalya Vagner’s The Ride to the Crescent Moon for oboe, flute, violin, dan bau and piano (2016). These works were featured in the chamber music concerts and ‘Closing Ceremony and Gala Concert’ respectively.

The opening ceremony and concert took place at the Hanoi Opera House - one of Hanoi’s important cultural and architectural monuments, built by the French colonial administration between 1901 and 1911, and modelled on the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris. The concert, featuring the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tetsuji Honna, was organised into two parts, with the second part ‘Conductors are Composers’ framing the music of Isao Matsushita (Japan), Richard Tsang (Hong Kong), Robert Casteels (Singapore), Do Hong Quan (Vietnam) and Nguyen Thieu Hoa (Vietnam). Highlights of the concert included Marc Battier’s (France) Recollections for orchestra - a stunningly beautiful gestural work with an electroacoustic component that delicately layered the orchestra with a collection of subtle overtones; Isao Matsushita’s (Japan) Air of the Firmament for solo violin and chamber orchestra, which focused on an exploration of a simple yet lyrical melodic line soaring over a rich harmonic bed of exquisite orchestral colours; Robert Casteels’s (Singapore) Cu Rùa: Symphonic Poem for dan bau and orchestra - a quirky, pulse-driven frantic piece, imaginatively orchestrated, featuring the Vietnamese monochord zither; and Nguyen Thieu Hoa’s (Vietnam) Concerto for solo nhi and orchestra, which was a folk-inspired work showcasing the amazing virtuosity of Nguyen The Dan on Vietnamese two-string fiddle - a virtuosity that has gained him both the ‘Elite Artist’ title in 1997 and the ‘People’s Artist’ title in 2016.

The second day of the festival included two concerts at the Concert Hall of the Vietnam National Academy of Music. The first concert highlighted new generations of Vietnamese composers, including Nguyen Minh Trang’s Duet for sáo trúc (Vietnamese bamboo flute) and đàn tranh (16- string Vietnamese zither) and Pham Thi Hue’s Kieu Khuc for tỳ bà (Vietnamese lute) and voice. The latter featured the expressive Ca Tru melodies that derive from the epic poem ‘The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du’, delightfully rendered by vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Pham Thi Hue. The second featured the Asia/America New Music Institute (AANMI), which is an association founded by American composer Chad Cannon and dedicated to promoting new music

Melbourne Composers’ League, PO Box 2518, Fitzroy Business Centre, Victoria 3065, Australia

Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.melbournecomposersleague.com relationships between Asia and the Americas. Interesting to note is that over the years AANMI has presented concerts in Beijing, Tianjin, Shenyang, Los Angeles, New York City, Bangkok, Hanoi, Salt Lake Coty, Okinawa, and Seoul. One of the great works in the program was Harue Kondoh’s (Japan) elegantly subdued yet highly emotive Moh-Ashibi for sanshin (3-string Japanese lute) and violin.

Chamber music concerts on the third day featured Kyoung Ja Kim’s (Korea) Deux Chemins (Two Paths) for violin, viola and violoncello, a striking work with long-drawn-out notes gently decorated with intermittent glissandi - the musicality displayed by Moscow Conservatory graduates Stepan Yakovich (violin), Lev Serov (viola), Dmitry Feygin (violocello) within their interpretation of the work was electric. One of the works we did not hear on the program was Dan Yuhas’s (Israel) Trio for clarinet, violin and pianoforte, which was cancelled (along with various other works during the festival) for what could be politely expressed as ‘technical’ reasons. The first part of the night concert featured arrangements of Andalusian songs (adorned by the words of Federico García Lorca) by Spanish composer/pianist Domènec González de la Rubia, performed in partnership with singer Estela Barrientos (Spain). The second part then presented the world premiere of the Australian Natalya Vagner’s playful and energetic The Ride to the Crescent Moon, a fitting tribute to Natalya’s encounter with Vietnam.

Highlights of further chamber music concerts during the festival included Alexander Tchaikovsky’s (Russia) slow-moving and relenting Schnittke-like String Quintet (Piano); Dang Hong Anh’s (Vietnam/Poland) folk-inspired and Bartók-like Capricio ‘Tay Nguyen’ for string orchestra; and Yii Kah Hoe’s (Malaysia) modernist yet minimalist My Spirit is Singing for solo oboe, which, with its limited pitch material ornamented occasionally with multiphonics, effectively explored spatial variation within the acoustic environment of the concert hall (the constantly shifting position of the player - moving from the front, to the middle and then to the back of the hall - sonically compelling). A composition that certainly made a mark in this trio of events was Moisès Bertran’s (Colombia) Camins de vidre for violin and piano - an expressive, well-crafted, and sensitive work of great emotional conviction, masterfully interpreted by violinist Ala Voronkova and pianist Guerassim Voronkov (Russia/Spain).

On the second last day, the festival travelled to Vinh Yen for the ‘Friendship Melodies Concert’ - Vinh Yen is the capital city of Vinh Phúc Province, in the Red River Delta region of northern Vietnam, and one of its scenic virtues is the Dam Vac Lake that surrounds the urban landscape with its many intertwined lakes and ponds. It is here that we were all treated to a more relaxed ‘resort’ environment and a night event celebrating both the folk and popular music of the region (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia), as well as that of Asia’s north (Japan). Most memorable was a performance by Kodō, the world-famous professional taiko drumming troupe from Sado Island (a large island situated in the Niigata Prefecture, in the Chūbu region of Japan). Kodō’s performance was exhilarating, and the level of precision, stamina and imagination presented within their entertaining ‘audience friendly’ routines was astounding.

The closing ceremony and gala concert on Tuesday, 18 October at the Grand Concert Hall of the Vietnam National Academy of Music delivered the results of the ‘23rd ACL Young Composers Competition,’ with first, second and third prizes going to Po-Chien Liu (Taiwan), Hisataka Nishimori (Japan) and Jonathan M. Domingo (Philippines) respectively. The 2016 ACL Yoshiro Irino Memorial Prize went to Tran Luu Hoang (Philippines) for his work Fantasie for clarinet, violoncello and piano. This award, initiated in 1988, nominates the best musical work by a composer from the host country under the age 35 at each ACL festival. The 2016 ACL Hsu Tsang- Houei Memorial Prize (best work utilising traditional instruments by a composer from the host country) went to Nguyen Minh Trang (Vietnam) for her work Duet for sáo trúc (Vietnamese

Melbourne Composers’ League, PO Box 2518, Fitzroy Business Centre, Victoria 3065, Australia

Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.melbournecomposersleague.com bamboo flute) and đàn tranh (16-string Vietnamese zither). The Best Performance Award went to the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra and its chief conductor Tetsuji Honna. One of the highlights of the actual concert was Azamat Khassanshin’s (Russia) Altun Urda for symphony orchestra - a dedication to the empire of the Turks and Mongols (XIII-XV centuries), and a work characterising the grandest of orchestral traditions.

The hospitality and generosity of the Vietnamese throughout the festival was simply incredible. Not only did they pick up and drop off everybody from and to the airport (yes, over 100 composers, not to mention the other countless number of invited performers), but they also managed to feed everybody, morning, day, and night, which is an amazing undertaking in itself. I was personally overwhelmed by the very fact that the Vietnam Musicians’ Association had engaged the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet Choir for one work alone, which happened to be my own work. The combined sensory power of the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet Choir and the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra were sensational.

In this, my second musical adventure to the region, I have come away reflecting on the understanding that Vietnam is certainly a country that supports culture and the arts with unsurmountable pride and commitment. The musical experience was just great - and the food unforgettable (make a note of the following: Pho at Pho 10, Bún cha at KOTO on Van Mieu; prawn spring rolls with mango salsa at Madame Hien [a restored 19th-century villa]; steam codfish with ginger and spring onion in superior soya sauce at the Lý Club [an elegant French colonial mansion). The next ACL Festival and Conference is scheduled to take place in Taipei (Taiwan) in the latter part of 2018, and so there will be no official ACL festival in 2017, although the Japan Federation of Composers (JFC) is planning to host an ACL Special Festival in November next year.

Further links

Vietnam Musicians’ Association (www.hoinhacsi.org) Asian Composers’ League (www.asiancomposersleague.com/) Melbourne Composers’ League (www.melbournecomposersleague.com/)

© Australian Music Centre (2016) — Permission must be obtained from the AMC if you wish to reproduce this article either online or in print.

6. Elbow Room

Elbow Room 2016: Concert 1

Elbow Room 2016 – A concert of musical works from Australia of a more experimental nature featuring Johanna Selleck, Peter Sheridan, Livia Judge (flute), Luke Carbon (clarinet), Tiffany Cheng, Mana Ohashi (violin), Eunise Cheng, Maxine Sutcliffe (viola), Liam Meany (violoncello), Haydn Reeder, Danaë Killian (pianoforte). This concert incorporated the music of composers Michael Bakrnčev, Diana Blom, Simon Charles, John Lynch, Stephen Lebsanft, Henry Lewis, Colin McKellar, Gary McKie, Paul Moulatlet, Andrián Pertout, Haydn Reeder, Johanna Selleck and Dindy Vaughan, and took place on Sunday, 10th April, 2016 at Barn Gallery, Montsalvat, Eltham, Melbourne.

Melbourne Composers’ League, PO Box 2518, Fitzroy Business Centre, Victoria 3065, Australia

Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.melbournecomposersleague.com Elbow Room 2016: Concert 2

Elbow Room 2016 – A concert of musical works from Australia of a more experimental nature featuring Jacqui Rutten, Deborah Kayser (soprano), Christina Green (alto and baritone ukulele), Johanna Selleck (concert and alto flute), Peter Sheridan (bass flute), Kaiya Mitchell (oboe), Tim Garlick (clarinet), Tom Campbell (French horn), George Dreyfus (bassoon), Zac Johnston, Naomi Durston (violin), Atilla Kuti (viola), Caerwen Martin (violoncello), Sandra Tan (keyboard), Chun- liang (dance). This concert incorporated the music of composers Howard Dillon, Christina Green, Caerwen Martin, Gary McKie, Paul Moulatlet, Andrián Pertout, Jacqui Rutten, Peter Tahourdin, Felix Werder, and took place on Sunday, 24th July, 2016 at Wesley Anne, Northcote, Melbourne.

There are two Elbow Room concerts planned for 2017:

Sunday, 30 April, 2017 at Wesley Anne, Northcote, Melbourne. Sunday, 12 November, Montsalvat, Eltham, Melbourne.

7. Curated Concerts

Western Prospects: A Concert of New Solo Piano Music from Australia at Western Sydney University – featuring new solo piano music performed by Australian pianist Michael Kieran Harvey. This concert incorporated the music of composers Diana Blom, Brendan Colbert, Joseph Giovinazzo, Christina Green, Chloé Hulewicz, Petar Jovanov, Christine McCombe, Peter Myers, Andrián Pertout and Antonio Tenace, and took place on Thursday, 1 September, 2016 at the Playhouse, School of Humanities & Communication Arts, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Sydney, Australia as part of the ‘Music Festival Creativity Unlimited 2016: Energizing Silence’, 1- 2 September, 2016 at Western Sydney University. The two-day festival (curated by Associate Professor Bruce Crossman) included four concerts, and additionally featured a conference component with a series of paper presentations dedicated to the works performed. Japanese composers Akira Kobayashi and Tomoyuki Hisatome were the international ‘guest’ composers.

‘Subterranean Sonorities: A Concert of New Chamber Music from Australia and Japan for Low Flutes, Viola, Harp and Didjeridu’ featuring Peter Sheridan (low flutes), Anthony Chataway (viola), Jacinta Dennett (harp) and Namatjira Morgan (yidaki[didjeridu]). This concert incorporated the music of Australian composers John Arthur Grant, Paul Moulatlet, Andrián Pertout, Johanna Selleck and Silvia Simons in conjunction with Japanese composers Isao Matsushita, Kaori Nabeshima and Rui Ogawa, and took place on Saturday, 26 November, 2016 at Trinity Uniting Church, Brighton, Melbourne, Australia. It was a great honour to not only have Isao Matsushita, Kaori Nabeshima and Rui Ogawa present at the concert in Melbourne, but also Izumi Miyoshi.

Upcoming in 2017

East Meets West: A Concert of New Chamber Music from Australia and Tatarstan for Clarinet Trio featuring Robert Schubert (E flat, B flat, A and C clarinets, basset horn and bass clarinet), Natasha Fearnside (E flat, B flat and A clarinets) and Granian Burke (bass clarinet). The Melbourne Composers’ League presents the music of its members alongside that of composers from Tatarstan (an autonomous Republic within the Russian Federation, located in in the Eastern part of the East European Plain at the confluence of two biggest rivers – the Volga and the Kama). Kazan, its capital city, is “one of the largest and most beautiful cities of Russia, which is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage cities.” In 2017, the MCL will be hosting a concert celebrating the music

Melbourne Composers’ League, PO Box 2518, Fitzroy Business Centre, Victoria 3065, Australia

Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.melbournecomposersleague.com of these two distinct cultural regions. Sunday, 3rd September, 2017, 3.00pm. Trinity Uniting Church, 15 Black Street, Brighton, Melbourne, Australia.

The MCL is also considering another concert in Melbourne with Australian pianist Michael Kieran Harvey.

8. CD Report

To date, 22 works by 22 composers have been received (enough now for a double CD). Waiting on 6 100-word biographies and 2 ‘final’ recordings in WAV or AIFF format. One work still needs to be recorded. So the plan is to finalize all this soon in time for a possible CD launch date coinciding with the Elbow Room concert on Sunday, 12 November at Montsalvat, Eltham, Melbourne.

9. Other

Julia Tahourdin announced the upcoming CD launch of a new compact disc celebrating the music of Peter Tahourdin. The event will take place at Melba Hall, University of Melbourne at 2pm on Saturday, 11 March, 2017.

10. Election of the Executive Committee.

Due to the fact that Eve Duncan has held the position of ‘President’ of the MCL for the past 4 years (2013-2016), all positions, including ‘President’, ‘Secretary’ ‘Treasurer’, and ‘Executive Committee’ positions were made open to nominations in 2017. In the interest of rotating the position of ‘President’ Eve Duncan stepped down as ‘President’ of the MCL at the AGM.

Nominations for President, Vice-President, Secretary and Ordinary Committee Members included Andrián Pertout, Eve Duncan, Johanna Selleck, Howard Dillon, Colin McKellar, Houston Dunleavy and Haydn Reeder. None of the nominations were challenged and therefore no vote took place. The results were then Moved (by Silvia Simons), Seconded (by Peter Graham), to be then Carried.

2017 MCL Executive Committee:

President: Andrián Pertout Vice-President: Eve Duncan Secretary: Johanna Selleck Treasurer: Antonio Tenace Ordinary Members: Colin McKellar, Howard Dillon, Houston Dunleavy, Haydn Reeder

11. Open Forum: Discussion with Members

N/A

12. Closure.

There being no further business, the meeting will be closed as of 4pm, Sunday, February 12th, 2017.

Melbourne Composers’ League, PO Box 2518, Fitzroy Business Centre, Victoria 3065, Australia

Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.melbournecomposersleague.com