BY CUTCOMMON
This is not the first time we’ve featured Arcadia Winds in CutCommon. Since the chamber group’s founding in 2013, we’ve caught up with these Australian musicians over the years because they’re almost always doing something exciting. It could be the new music that they commission from Australian composers, or it could be their success as Musica Viva FutureMakers, or perhaps their ABC Classics release — take your pick of achievements from this now-internationally acclaimed ensemble.
This time, they’re doing something exciting that’ll take them back to their beginnings: Homecomings. We asked Matthew Kneale, the group’s founding bassoonist, about Arcadia Winds’ upcoming program with their place of origin, the Australian National Academy of Music.
But first, here’s a snapshot of a young Arcadia Winds at ANAM, all the way back in 2014 (credit Pia Johnson):
Matthew, how are you feeling about returning to ANAM, the original home of Arcadia Winds?
Homecomings is something that is extremely dear to us and myself. ANAM is a place of awesome chamber music and the creation of all things new and Australian. We are incredibly proud to be alumni returning and sharing our knowledge of the industry, but most importantly creating music with the next generation of Australian musicians in a week celebrating all things wind!
It’s extremely exciting and nostalgic to be back in a place that was our foundation of music.
What are some of the emotions that pop up for you when you think about what it was like to get started in Arcadia Winds in 2013 — the musician you were back then, and the dreams that you had for the group?
2013 was a massive year for Arcadia Winds as the ensemble established itself by winning ANAM Chamber Music Competition, and was successful in becoming ANAM Fellows for 2014.
Fast-forward 13 years later, and we see the ensemble really cultivating into the chamber music ecosystem, and creating a legacy of wind chamber music in the Australian music scene.
It’s very special to see many musicians starting up new chamber music ensembles and putting on their own concerts. I remember discussions with members of Arcadia during our time at ANAM, and saying what an opportunity we had to start something special like a wind quintet, and to set a trend with new pathways for wind musicians to perform in different mediums, venues and festivals.
What do you think it is that has held Arcadia Winds together so strongly for those 13 years?
Friendship and community is the key.
Something we have in common is firstly, we enjoy each other’s company. Our friendships have all strengthened through playing together, life events etc.
We also have wanted to continue the journey of chamber music through education, international stage performances, and creating new compositions through collaborations with Australia’s best and upcoming composers.
Building our audience has been a massive creation of a community, which we are able to keep in touch with as dear friends and music lovers.
What are you most proud of as you reflect on these past 13 years?
Our legacy as leading and shining light for Australian wind chamber music is a great privilege and responsibility. Wind chamber music adds diversity, contrast, and music to the Australian music scene.
Our impact in education by doing residencies at multiple universities, and taking chamber music weeks, is absolutely unique and a fundamental way for tertiary students to gain experience working with professionals in this setting of chamber music .
The Arcadia Winds prize has also been a great outlet for composers to write and compose more works for woodwind instruments. FutureMakers was a huge part of the development for Arcadia through all facets of our ensemble development, landscaping and direction.
It’s not easy to maintain the group that you start when you’re training, but you’ve made it work. How would you advise early career musicians to push through the challenges and give it their best?
First and foremost, music is fun and enjoyable. It is great to play with friends and create opportunities. Many of us meet our colleagues in Australia at university, state youth orchestras, AYO as an example, and these people will become your future colleagues.
Our example of Arcadia was that four out of five members started playing wind quintets in 2010 at Queensland Conservatorium. These are the times where you can rehearse and spend time exploring music and rehearsals together.
The late Richard Gill always asked this question, ‘Why do we do music?’ and answered, ‘Because it is good’. Good things have their challenges, but you continue even when it gets difficult because it is good and worth it.
So tell us about Homecomings and why it’s such a special celebration!
ANAM was our home, our beginnings. ANAM was the place to explore all styles and forms of Western classical music and still have these amazing project weeks. Project weeks are the way to explore music and meet inspirational colleagues to play awesome music and together. It is a special hub of idea creation, trying out ideas, and exploring music you don’t always get the chance to in the professional scene.
We are so honoured as alumni to give the students the experience we experienced all those years ago, which shaped our careers and musical identity.
What’s your favourite piece on the program — or the one that resonates with you the most intimately?
All the pieces are special to us, but performing a world premiere of Lachlan Skipworth’s Sextet for Piano and Winds is incredibly special.
Geoff Stern commissioned this work, and just an observation from the individual practice I have started with on this work: it is immediately apparent how well Lachlan knows our instruments, and us as members of Arcadia, through previous commissions.
The Strauss Suite for Winds will be a concert highlight as it is a rarely performed work.
What do you hope the ANAM winds and pianists will gain from performing with an internationally renowned ensemble such as Arcadia Winds?
Wind chamber music and piano in Arcadia projects are always so wonderful. It opens up so many different works with the different colours of the wind instruments in such an intimate setting.
With these kinds of projects, we want to inspire the ANAM winds and pianists to collaborate even more with their recitals and program these epic works, thinking about how they could one day as alumni curate an ANAM wind week, or wind weeks in tertiary or school institutions.
These works aren’t always performed often, so finding ways and reasons to program them in this setting is extremely important.
Experience Homecomings with Arcadia Winds and ANAM winds and pianists at 7pm May 29, Abbotsford Convent.
Images supplied. Credit Cameron Jamieson.
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