New Ancient Songs

Emily Wurramara, voice

ARIA nominated Wanindilyakwa woman from Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory, Emily uses her music to share her language and culture with the world. Singing in both English and Anindilyakwa, Emily’s music explores the contrasting themes of her two worlds - the island and the city, steeped in the sand, salt and concrete of her family, community and culture.

Alice Skye, voice

Singer songwriter Alice Skye is emerging as a formidable talent within the Australian Indigenous music scene. Since the beginning of 2015, Alice has been garnering attention for original songs that sparkle with a sensitivity and maturity well beyond her years. After her debut album 'Friends with Feelings' premiered on ABC Local programs across the country, Alice has been capturing the hearts of punters and industry alike

Eduardo Egüez, vihuela da mano, theorbo & baroque guitar

One of the world’s foremost lute players, Eduardo Egüez has performed as soloist in venues and festivals all over the world. Mr Egüez has recorded 5 solo albums featuring music by J.S. Bach, S.L. Weiss and R. de Visée. He leads the Ensemble La Chimera, and has conducted several operas, among them Torrejón y Velazco’s La púrpura de la rosa and Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo.

Erkki Veltheim, violin & electric violin

Erkki Veltheim (b. 1976 Finland) is an Australian composer and performer, whose practice spans improvisation, notated music, electroacoustic composition, audio visual installation and multidisciplinary performance. His works have been performed by London Sinfonietta, defunensemble (Finland), Soundstream Collective and Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and he has collaborated closely on multiple projects with fellow musicians Anthony Pateras, Scott Tinkler and Gurrumul Yunupingu.

Andrea Keller, piano

Andrea Keller is a pianist and composer dedicated to the performance and creation of contemporary jazz and improvised music. She has devised and produced a multitude of eclectic projects, and been lauded with multiple ARIA, Australian Jazz Bell, and Art Music Awards, as well as an APRA Professional Development Award, and fellowships from the MCA/Freedman Foundation and the Australia Council.

Joe Talia, drums

Australian drummer, composer and record producer-engineer, Joe Talia has established his reputation in the contemporary jazz and improvised music fields. He is an active member of the ARIA award-winning Andrea Keller Quartet, and has worked alongside Ned Collette, Yuko Kono and Francis Plagne. Known for his adventurous, exploratory drumming, his long-standing musical partnership with Ned Collette has resulted in four records, most recently Networking in Purgatory.

Thomas Gould, violin

British violinist Thomas Gould has forged an unusually varied career that encompasses directing, leading, playing concertos, chamber and new music, and also working in jazz and other non-classical genres. He has performed in Australia extensively before as guest director of ACO Collective and guest principal 2nd violin in ACO, soloist with WASO, and on tour with the UK’s Aurora Orchestra.

Brendan Joyce, violin

Brendan Joyce is Violinist, Leader and Artistic Director of Camerata--Queensland's acclaimed chamber orchestra, based in Brisbane.  He curates the ensemble’s renowned programming and his leadership of Camerata has been described in The Australian as “indefatigable”, having led its first recordings, tours, broadcasts, residencies and collaborations.  In 2013 he was named by the Queensland State government as a Culture Champion.

Caroline Henbest, viola

Caroline is based in Melbourne and is on the resident faculty at ANAM where she teaches the viola and chamber music.   As a performer, she can regularly be heard around Australia including at the Stradbroke Island, Music By the Springs and Townsville Festivals.  Caroline is a part time member of the ACO. 

Daniel Yeadon, cello

Daniel Yeadon is exceptionally versatile as a cellist and viola da gamba player and is a passionate chamber musician. He is currently a Scholarly Teaching Fellow at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and in addition he enjoys a part time role as a performer and educator in the ACO.

Kirsty McCahon, double bass

Bass player, educator, curator, environmentalist, mother and passionate advocate for the arts. Kirsty’s artistic practice is inspired by the universal language of the arts across old and new forms. From the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, to the Brodsky Quartet, to the Australian World Orchestra, and collaborations with luminaries such as David Malouf and Elena Kats-Chernin, Kirsty is recognised as one of Australia’s finest with a Churchill Fellowship and a Fellowship at the University of Melbourne.

Neal Peres Da Costa, harpsichord & chamber organ

Neal Peres Da Costa is Professor of Historical Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. A world-recognised performing scholar, his publications include Off the Record: Performing Practices in Romantic Piano Playing (OUP, 2012), Brahms’s Duo Sonatas for Bärenreiter (2015/16) and numerous commercial recordings. Recipient of an ARIA Fine Arts award (2008), he is chief investigator in an ARC Discovery Project (2017-2019).

Marshall McGuire, harp

Acclaimed as one of the world’s leading harpists in contemporary and baroque repertoire, Marshall McGuire studied at the Victorian College of the Arts, the Paris Conservatoire and the Royal College of Music, London. He has performed as soloist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, English String Orchestra, Les Talens Lyriques, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony and the Australia Ensemble.

Jane Gower, Baroque bassoon

Jane specialises in historical bassoon performance, ranging from the 17th century dulcian to early 20th century instruments. She plays as principal bassoon with Europe and Australia's leading ensembles, also often as a soloist, using her vast collection of original bassoons. Highly active in chamber music, she founded the quartet "island", and directed festivals in the Barossa Valley, SA.

Genevieve Lacey, recorder

Genevieve Lacey is a musician working in many contexts, with all kinds of people. She creates large-scale collaborative works across radio, film, dance, theatre and public art, and has premiered scores of works, written for her. She’s a recorder virtuoso, artistic director, spokesperson and leader, with a significant recording catalogue and a career as an international artist.

Jim Atkins, sound design

Jim Atkins designs and mixes sound for a host of live and recorded situations nationally and internationally. Recent highlights include One Infinity (Melbourne Festival); The Black Rider (Victorian Opera/Malthouse); En Masse and Pleasure Garden (Sydney Festival/ National Sawdust NY); Armand Van Helden (MSO); Satan Jawa (AsiaTOPA/ Berlin Festival); Between 8&9 (Chamber Made).

Paolo Pandolfo, viola da gamba

Paolo Pandolfo constant effort is to build bridges between the Past and the Present, always bringing in his performances, together with rigorous philological interpretation, spontaneous and immediate life. He is convinced that the patrimony of ancient music combined with renewed improvisation skills can be of powerful inspiration for the future of the western musical tradition.