_MONASH ART ENSMEBLE

The Monash Art Ensemble was established in 2012 within the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance at Monash University thanks to the generosity of the Vizard Foundation, the Robert Salzer Foundation, and the Minsmere Foundation. The ensemble, directed by Paul Grabowsky AO, is a polystylistic ensemble that aims to support the development of excellence in young Australian musicians, foster a culture of innovation amongst established Australian musicians, and encourage community engagement with the Australian music industry.

_THE COMPOSER _ ANDREA KELLER

Commissioned by the Monash Art Ensemble, Andrea's composition is a response to the feelings and experiences that accompanied the 2020/2021 Pandemic induced lockdowns in Melbourne, Australia.

The work begins by setting the space with Opening. The second movement Still – encapsulates the sense of stillness that lockdown brought with it. This is followed by Cog which captures feelings of displacement and the uncertainty of shifting territories. The Interlude is characterised by an impassioned melody that possesses feelings of frustration and anguish in response to the situation. There is a return to stillness with Languishing which features improvised interludes prompted by the words “quiet despair”. The conclusion comes with Systems Over-Ride a plea to re-evaluate past ways of living and being.

Andrea Keller is an Australian pianist, composer and improviser. Dedicated to the performance, creation, and nurturing of contemporary jazz and improvised music, her projects celebrate the wealth and diversity of Australian musicians. With a propensity for the ‘new’, Andrea is somewhat of a serial bandleader, having devised and led almost twenty projects over her career to date.

In addition to her own projects, she is part of numerous collaborations and ensembles, including the Australian Art Orchestra, Vanessa Perica Orchestra, Sam Anning Sextet and Sandy Evans/Andrea Keller duo. Andrea has received multiple commissions to create new work for musicians in varying genres, including Ten Part Invention, recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey, Flinders Quartet, and more.

Highly lauded for her music in Australia, Andrea has received numerous awards for her albums, ensembles and compositions, including three ARIA’s, multiple Australian Jazz Bell, and more. She runs the educational program Gender Defying Jazz and is Head of Jazz & Improvisation at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne.