UPDATE: To our dear listeners,

We are sad to have to postpone SOUND PARTY.

It has been such a joyful time for us creating and rehearsing music in preparation for tomorrow, but it’s important to us that our shows are a space that is safe and comfortable for both our performers and our listeners - we want to take risks with sounds, not with well-being! With the case numbers climbing so quickly in Sydney, we don’t want to risk everyone’s health and ability to see loved ones over Christmas.

We will be doing something online to launch our 2022 season, so stay tuned.

We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season!

* * * * * *

the music box project is back upstairs @ The Glebe!

To celebrate, we’re throwing a SOUND PARTY and you’re invited! Join us for an afternoon of music outside the usual order of things with music/situations/games/maps composed by Jane Aubourg, Elizabeth Jigalin, Naomi Johnson, Peter Leung, Joseph Lisk and Arvo Pärt.

Opening the afternoon, Lucy Vallely (voice) and Danica Hobden (guitar) will be sharing a set of English songs from the renaissance and baroque, interweaving tales of lost love, frivolous joys and underworld Furies with snakes for hair.

Tickets: $10 contactless payment available at the door

All ticket sales from SOUND PARTY go towards funding the music box project’s 2022 series. Your support enables us to make more music! Your ticket includes music, a zine and a pocket treasure.

the music box project acknowledges the traditional owners of the land this event will take place on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and their elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded - this always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

Accessibilty: unfortunately, the venue is up a flight of stairs. Please message if you have any specific questions about accessing the venue!

HiberNATION Festival presents three online events featuring Ensemble Offspring, the music box project. and Konzertprojekt - a day packed full of exploratory music-making as part of Make Music Day Australia.

11:00AM - 4:00PM.

Join the music box project. whilst they play, explore and sonically activate Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour.

A 6 hour live-streaming event with music made from maps, sonic scavenger hunts, notes on isolation, adventuring sound keepers/seekers, droning chase sequences, live drawing/scoring and more. Each artist will be wearing a camera for online audiences to choose their view, mix, match and experience this curiously noisy picnic at home. A combined feed of all cameras can be viewed online at the Hibernation Festival website: https://www.hibernationfestival.com/sound-game-picnic

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and make music, and recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging and we extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with us today.

In 2019, make your way up the stairs at The Glebe Hotel (formerly Australian Youth Hotel) on the second Saturday afternoon of the month for gatherings exploring music outside the usual order of things by the music box project and friends.

Open the music box…who knows what you might find. Sydney-based ‘the music box project’ is a curious collective of early career musicians presenting creative, community driven and collaborative musical experiences. Increasingly recognised as keen collaborators and instigators of creative music making, the music box project has premiered works of local, national and international early career composers whilst continuing to re-invent established works in a new light.

Entry by donation goes towards commissioning new work and artists.

CLEARING THE AIR (1974) APMOYA HENDERSON

ELEMENTAL LAYERING (2019) WP
JASMIN WING-YIN LEUNG

PRELUDE & PICKLE (2019) WP
ELIZABETH JIGALIN

SHALLOW LISTENING (2018) WP
JASLYN ROBERTSON

JOUSKA (2019) WP
JOSEPH FRANKLIN

The major component of Sydney composer | performer collective The Music Box Project’s 2019 BIFEM début is an immersive event featuring world premieres from two of the collective, as well as rising star composers, Brisbane-based Jasmin Leung and Melbourne-based Jaslyn Robertson. Some 45 years after it was composed, and rounding out the programme, is the Australian premiere of iconic Australian composer Moya Henderson’s Clearing the Air. These works speak to each other across two generations and BIFEM audiences are all the richer for the exchange.

THE MUSIC BOX PROJECT

Jane AUBOURG, Violin | Objects
Joseph FRANKLIN, Double Bass | Electric Bass | Objects
Elizabeth JIGALIN, Theremin | Accordion | Objects
Naomi JOHNSON, Flutes | Objects
Peter LEUNG, Saxophones | Objects
Joseph LISK, Trumpet | Objects
Tina STEFANOU, Voice | Objects

This performance by The Music Box Project is supported by Australia Council for the Arts.

https://www.bifem.com.au/2019/program-listings/cushion-concert

RESERVOIRS (1970)
DAVID AHERN

PREPARING THE AIR (2019) WP
THE MUSIC BOX PROJECT

As part of their residency at 2019 BIFEM, Sydney composer | performer collective the music box project open this year’s festival with our 6th annual Cushion Concert, BIFEM’s next generation programme for pre-school audiences and their adult companions.

The Cushion Concert remains one of the most hotly contested performance opportunities for BIFEM artists. Holding the attention of an adult audience is a coded and negotiated space, but holding a group of under-5-year-olds’ attention really means you have to perform!

The exploratory collectivism that is the heart of The Music Box Project promises to deliver one of our best Cushion Concerts to date!

Jane AUBOURG, Violin | Objects
Joseph FRANKLIN, Double Bass | Electric Bass | Objects
Elizabeth JIGALIN, Theremin | Accordion | Objects
Naomi JOHNSON, Flutes | Objects
Peter LEUNG, Saxophones | Objects
Joseph LISK, Trumpet | Objects
Tina STEFANOU, Voice | Objects

Cushion Concert is supported by Australia Council for the Arts and the City of Greater Bendigo.

Are you feeling breathless? Light-headed? A little dizzy?
Take a big lungful of air and come on a journey that explores breathing in many and varied forms. From the soft breaths of sleep to great gasps of air and exhalation that just seems to go round in circles. Naomi Johnson curates a program of new and fascinating sounds by Celeste Oram, Andrew Aronowicz, John Fonville and more.
Our regular music box project line-up is joined by Danica Hobden (guitar) and Will Hansen (bass).
Open the music box…who knows what you might find. Sydney-based ‘the music box project’ is a curious collective of early career musicians presenting creative, community driven and collaborative musical experiences. Increasingly recognised as keen collaborators and instigators of creative music making, the music box project has premiered works of local, national and international early career composers whilst continuing to re-invent established works in a new light.

Entry by donation goes towards commissioning new work and artists.

In September of 2009, red dust descended onto Sydney.
Now in 2019, it’s happening again in a small room in a pub in Glebe.
What will you hear amongst the haze? 

Inspired by a video game that was inspired by a dust storm, this month is curated by Jane Aubourg. 

Entry by donation goes towards commissioning new work and artists.

* * *

In 2019, make your way up the stairs at The Glebe Hotel (formerly Australian Youth Hotel) on the second Saturday afternoon of the month for gatherings exploring music outside the usual order of things by the music box project and friends.

Open the music box…who knows what you might find. Sydney-based ‘the music box project’ is a curious collective of early career musicians presenting creative, community driven and collaborative musical experiences. Increasingly recognised as keen collaborators and instigators of creative music making, the music box project has premiered works of local, national and international early career composers whilst continuing to re-invent established works in a new light.

the music box project acknowledges the traditional owners of the land this event will take place on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and their elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded - this always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

Accessibilty: unfortunately, the venue is up a steep flight of stairs. Please message if you have any specific questions about accessing the venue! 

Curated by Peter Leung. 

Chase and Fight are two semi-improvised works being developed by Peter Leung. 

In Chase, the sax, violin and double bass continually try to reach a unison point, but never truly make it, with the chase going on and on. 

In Fight, 3 saxophones vie for supremacy over the others, while getting side-tracked by popular saxophone tunes and melodies. Who will reign supreme?

Performing today alongside Pete are: Jane Aubourg (violin), Joseph Franklin (double bass), Marcus Rook (saxophone), Chris Higgins (saxophone)

***

In 2019, make your way up the stairs at The Glebe Hotel (formerly Australian Youth Hotel) on the second Saturday afternoon of the month for gatherings exploring music outside the usual order of things by the music box project and friends.

Open the music box…who knows what you might find. Sydney-based ‘the music box project’ is a curious collective of early career musicians presenting creative, community driven and collaborative musical experiences. Increasingly recognised as keen collaborators and instigators of creative music making, the music box project has premiered works of local, national and international early career composers whilst continuing to re-invent established works in a new light.

Entry by donation goes towards commissioning new work and artists.

If You Can’t Stand The Machine Age Fly, Two Women and A Voice, My Unripe Art, Assists and Pride, Handsome and Immoral, My Hand On Your Throat...

...is the working title for a piece composed by Tina Stefanou for herself and vocalist Sonya Holowell. It explores the dynamics between the last two remaining vocalist in Sydney after an apocalyptic musical moment.

James Hazel also joins the line-up with original electroacoustic compositions. 

Curated by Tina Stefanou
---
In 2019, make your way up the stairs at The Glebe Hotel (formerly Australian Youth Hotel) on the second Saturday afternoon of the month for gatherings exploring music outside the usual order of things by the music box project and friends.

Open the music box…who knows what you might find. Sydney-based ‘the music box project’ is a curious collective of early career musicians presenting creative, community driven and collaborative musical experiences. Increasingly recognised as keen collaborators and instigators of creative music making, the music box project has premiered works of local, national and international early career composers whilst continuing to re-invent established works in a new light.

Entry by donation goes towards commissioning new work and artists.

Join the music box project for a series of interweaving duets featuring artists who've never met in the sonic realm. Throw away the dating app, each musical partner has been hand picked and 'set up' by a different member of the ensemble. 

Curated by Joseph Lisk

featuring: Jane Aubourg, Joseph Franklin, Joseph Lisk, Pete Leung, Naomi Johnson, Elizabeth Jigalin, Nick Mielczarek, Marcus Rook, Felix Lalanne, Ellen Kirkwood, Toby Graham, Tsolly Phrank.

***

In 2019, make your way up the stairs @The Glebe Hotel (formerly Australian Youth Hotel) on the second Saturday afternoon of the month for gatherings exploring music outside the usual order of things by the music box project and friends.

Open the music box…who knows what you might find. Sydney-based ‘the music box project’ is a curious collective of early career musicians presenting creative, community driven and collaborative musical experiences. Increasingly recognised as keen collaborators and instigators of creative music making, the music box project has premiered works of local, national and international early career composers whilst continuing to re-invent established works in a new light.

Entry by donation goes towards commissioning new work and artists

Curated by Danica Hobden and Elizabeth Jigalin

With music by Kieth Humble, Arvo Part, Joni Mitchell, Andrea Keller & more (including ramblings on an Irish jig). 

Tina Stefanou, Naomi Johnson, Jane Aubourg, Joseph Lisk, Pete Leung will be joining the duo, exploring a fruit salad playlist of fine musical desserts and sonic capers. 

In 2019, make your way up the stairs at The Glebe Hotel (formerly Australian Youth Hotel) on the second Saturday afternoon of the month for gatherings exploring music outside the usual order of things by the music box project and friends.Open the music box…who knows what you might find. Sydney-based ‘the music box project’ is a curious collective of early career musicians presenting creative, community driven and collaborative musical experiences. Increasingly recognised as keen collaborators and instigators of creative music making, the music box project has premiered works of local, national and international early career composers whilst continuing to re-invent established works in a new light.

Entry by donation goes towards commissioning new work and artists.

join the music box project. for a night of the usual music outside the usual order of things.

there will be shared music making (byo instruments/noisy thing of choice), joes x 2, wine, clouds, soup (not the edible kind), monologues, singing, snacks and more.

entry: we will be doing a food drive in support of the Asylum Seekers Centre. so bring along some instant coffee, long living milk, a can of spaghetti or anything listed at the link below. The Asylum Seekers Centre provides practical and personal support for people seeking asylum living in the community. https://asylumseekerscentre.org.au/food-and-toiletry-donations

we can’t wait to celebrate a year of music box madness w/ all of those who are a part of the music box extended family.

more details to be announced in the lead up…

we acknowledge and pay respects to the gadigal people of the eora nation and their elders past, present and future - whose land we are fortunate to be making music on.

curated by Jane Aubourg.

music derived from strips of graphic notation inspired by travels in iceland.

in 2018, make your way up the stairs at the Australian Youth Hotel on the second Saturday afternoon of the month for gatherings exploring music outside the usual order of things by the music box project.

entry by donation.

the music box project acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we play, the Gadigal people of Eora. we pay respects to their elders past, present, and future. this always was and always will be aboriginal land.

curated by Peter Leung (saxophone)

featuring:
Rockwall – Adrian Kingwell
Strangling Fruit- Brenna Noonan
Sunshine – Leung
5 Duos – Christoph Enzel
Dorian Reeds – Terry Riley

in 2018, make your way up the stairs at the Australian Youth Hotel on the second Saturday afternoon of the month for gatherings exploring music outside the usual order of things by the music box project.

entry by donation.

the music box project acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we play, the Gadigal people of Eora. we pay respects to their elders past, present, and future. this always was and always will be aboriginal land.

We're looking forward to performing part of Sydney latest festival of new, breathing music...Extended Play @ City Recital Hall - produced by Lyle Chan and Vexations840.

We'll be sharing two sets (followed by workshops) at 2:30pm and 4:30pm!

Enter the sliding, oscillating, weird and free sound world of the theremin. Following a short set, the music box project invites the curious to play and learn more about this unique and untouchable instrument.

Program
Elizabeth Jigalin - TAM
Tina Stefanou - Anxious Spring
Joseph Franklin - The Bed Rock of Something
Percy Grainger - Free Music No.1

Artists
Jane Aubourg, Joseph Franklin, Elizabeth Jigalin, Peter Leung, Tina Stefanou, Constantine Stefanou

curated by Joseph Lisk

join the music box project and friends for an array of sonic couples. 

featuring:

Jack Stoneham & Tina Stefanou

Holly Conner & Elizabeth Jigalin

Sam Gill & Joseph Franklin

Jacques Emery & Naomi Johnson

Novak Manojlovic & Joseph Lisk

Miles Bartholomew Straws & Pete Leung

in 2018, make your way up the stairs at the Australian Youth Hotel on the second Saturday afternoon of the month for gatherings exploring music outside the usual order of things by the music box

project.entry by donation.

https://www.facebook.com/events/218305845522401

curated by Naomi Johnson

Devilish, daring and just a bit prickly, this is a flute of many guises. From the strident rhythms and piercing tones of David Lang's Thorn to the whirling, mechanical world of Natalie Williams' Vignettes of Paul Klee, get ready for the bold and fearless flute of today. But there's also an elusive side, the moments where your ears strain to catch the very slightest of sounds. Shimmering and ethereal, we present two new works by Andy Aronowicz and Devon Osamu Tipp alongside Kaija Saariaho's beguiling Laconisme de l'aile. 

Join Naomi Johnson and the music box project upstairs at the Australian Youth Hotel, Glebe for an exploration of characters dramatic and pensive. 

Featuring Joseph Franklin, Peter Leung and Elizabeth Jigalin.

curated by Tina Stefanou and Joseph Franklin.

slurp your way through an afternoon of noisy soup - packed with musicians, sounds and ideas: rhythm diamonds, a conversation, a recipe, mountains, duelling basses, flutes and loops.

ingredients: the music box project and friends (hannah kim, mark xiao, tomomi matsuo,  constantine stefanou and will hansen)!

in 2018, make your way up the stairs at the AYH on the second Saturday afternoon of the month for gatherings exploring music outside the usual order of things by the music box project.

entry by donation: all $ goes towards commissioning new work and artists.

join the music box project and NOU for an afternoon of silent film, noisy sounds/songs and popcorn to launch our 2018 season at the Australian Youth Hotel.

in 2018, make your way up the stairs at the AYH every second Saturday afternoon of the month for gatherings exploring music outside the usual order of things by the music box project and friends.

excited to be making live sounds to accompany moving images by artists: Baturay Tüngür, Harry Burgess, James Watkins, Kristina Susnjara, Liam Mulligan, Maya Saunders, Oliver Miller, Paola De la Pena and Tina Stefanou.

entry by donation.

4PM the music box project
5PM NOU (improvising on song forms): Joseph Phillip Franklin, Tina Stefanou, Holly Conner, Joseph Lisk, Elizabeth Jigalin

On August 28, BackStage Music presents "eloquent new music interpreter" Ashley Bathgate (USA) and local creative music cohort the music box project in back to back sets of living music in a living space. 

Opening the night, the music box project share music shaped by the visual and visceral with works by Cathy Milliken and Natalie Williams in addition to the premiere of a diptych collaboratively composed by the ensemble, inspired by "OPERA + ORNAMENTS" currently on display at Conny Dietzschold Gallery.

Memorial/Traces*: Cathy Milliken
Jane Aubourg and Elizabeth Jigalin: ORNAMENTS
Joseph Franklin and Joseph Lisk: OPERA
Natalie Williams: Vignettes of Paul Klee

*With new film by Tina Stefanou 'Traces'

Traces, 2017, Sydney, film stills 12.01 mins

Traces is inspired by Cathy Milliken's piece Memorial/Traces, 2012. A class of 8-10 year olds from Currambena Primary in Sydney silently interpret a series of graphic cards. Asking to be seen as they are, mapping out a trace of their selves through silent expression.

Voice meets flute meets story meets sound. a shimmer of song, the rush of air, the moment where one becomes the other. the ever-playful 'the music box project' invites you to join flutist Naomi Johnson and friends for an afternoon of music, poetry and new sounds, upstairs at the Australian Youth Hotel. start your saturday evening off with a drink (or two) and music by:

Jane Rigler: Two Seaming
Kaija Saariaho: Noa Noa
Dan Thorpe: false | cognate
Mark Zadro: Vox box
Tom Johnson: Counting Duets no III & V
...and more...

with Naomi Johnson (flute/bass flute), Elia Bosshard (flute), Danica Hobden (electric guitar) and Elizabeth Jigalin (counting/electronics).

entry by donation.
 

FRI FEB24: Join the music box project for a masterclass with adventurous US based, Grammy award winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird (who will be touring Australia in Feb-March!). Come along for an all Australian program of works featuring music by Kezia Yap, Jasmin Leung and Elena Kats Chernin (arr. Elizabeth Jigalin). We are so grateful to Musica Viva Australia for this awesome opportunity. We hope to see you @ Artbank. Free, though RSVP is essential: https://musicaviva.com.au/artbankmc/

PARTIAL PHASE: an evening overloaded with curious, creative, living sounds @ Eastside Arts/Paddington Uniting Church. two back-to-back sets of music making by two of Sydney’s up-and-coming, creative musician collectives: the music box project. and Splash Percussion.

6:15PM the music box project. share a set of music outside the usual order of things - an eclectic exploration of noisy • textural • drawn • partial • sounds by Cat Hope, Dan Thorpe, Jasmin Leung, Oliver Hollenbach, Elizabeth Jigalin, @GraphicScoreBot, 🍌.

7:00PM Splash Percussion draw you into the beautiful • hypnotic • primal • phasing • sound world of Steve Reich’s “Drumming” - celebrating Reich's 80th birthday.

doors open @ 6:00pm
sounds begin @ 6:15pm
sounds end @ 8:15pm

tickets online + at the door $15 (student/access) $20 (ga)

profit from this event will be donated to ACMF (Australian Children's Music Foundation)

Splash percussion and friends: James Guest, Stuart Rynn, Shane Leviton, Alice Connor, Oliver Brighton, Jack Andrew-Kabilafkas, Nicolas Petit, Jasper Rasmussen, Alice Hu, Naomi Johnson, Hannah Alexander, Niki Johnson.

the music box project: Elizabeth Jigalin, Naomi Johnson, Pete Leung, Joseph Franklin, Joseph Lisk, Laura Andrew, Danica Hobden.

Thanks to the support of APRA AMCOS, University of Sydney Union (USU), Sydney University Wind Orchestra