The Herring Island Piano Sonata

Internationally award-winning pianist Coady Green presents a solo piano recital that includes a uniquely special event. He is joined by renowned Yorta Yorta singer, artist and curator, Tiriki Onus for a preview performance of selections from Professor Linda Kouvaras’ major new work – Herring Island Piano Sonata, using Roger Alsop’s sound design, and narrated by Onus from text by senior Boon Wurrung elder N’arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs AM.

The Herring Island Piano Sonata evokes a variety of locations within a 5km radius of the manmade Herring Island in Melbourne’s Yarra River, with N’arweet Briggs’ Indigenous stories powerfully interwoven through the work.  Here is an inherently conscious reckoning and reconciliation, a desire for a healing confrontation with the place from where this sonata draws its ideas, the solo instrument resonating with the species, entities, locales and histories of this small but richly historic area in Melbourne.

This is a major event and a powerful new collaboration between leading Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists. The work is supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, City of Melbourne, Creative Victoria, and has recently been the recipient one of the eleven APRA/AMCOS awards.