Sydney’s classical music game changers, Ensemble Offspring, are at it again with the launch of their new digital series of cool online concerts. Dubbed Offspring for All, the secret’s in the name. Sure, we’re all locked out of concert halls right now anyway, but this is about more than home delivery to their rusted on fans. They also want to reach out to brand new audiences who haven’t engaged with the mellifluous art before.
And what makes dipping your toes into something new super-easy? Free stuff does. Rhythms of Change, the first in what will be an ongoing series of livestreamed or pre-recorded performances, features a solo percussion set by Ensemble’s artistic director Claire Edwardes. She will present six new works, all by Australian women composers. “Righting the current gender sway towards male composers in solo percussion repertoire, especially in Australia, is integral to making broader long-term changes in classical music programming,” Edwardes says.
The shows will go live on YouTube, and will also be available on demand on Ensemble Offspring’s website. If you dig what you hear, the brill news is that the rest of the series will remain enticingly affordable at only $20 a pop. That’s music to our ears.
