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8 Pipers for Philip Glass

  • Saturday, 3 May 2025

    7:30 pm

  • Snow Concert Hall

    40 Monaro Cres, Red Hill, ACT 2603

  • In Association with

8 Pipers for Philip Glass is a musical odyssey in which the gloriously saturated sonic texture of eight bagpipes fills the hall, immersing the audience in a world of haunting resonance and complex beauty. This Australian debut showcases the powerful artistry of French pipers in a concert that demands to be heard, witnessed, and felt with every sense.  

In 8 Pipers for Philip Glass, the music of visionary composer Philip Glass is re-imagined in a captivating arrangement by another creative trailblazer. Erwan Keravec, the master of French highland bagpipes from Brittany, a region where bagpipes are woven into the cultural fabric, believed that Glass’s compositions were destined for the raw, expressive power of bagpipes, including Scottish bagpipes, bombards, and binious. This performance proves he was absolutely right, creating a mesmerising experience that connects Glass’s modern compositions to ancient musical roots.  

Adding to the magic, the program opens with one of minimalist music’s most iconic works, Metamorphosis by Philip Glass. Festival favourite, pianist Sonya Lifschitz brings this solo piano masterpiece to life, setting the stage for a truly unforgettable evening.  

PROGRAM

Philip Glass
Metamorphosis for solo piano
Sonya Lifschitz (piano)

interval

8 Pipers for Philip Glass
Philip Glass

Two Pages
Music in Contrary Motion
Music in Fifths
Music in Similar Motion
by Philip Glass ©DUNVAGEN MUSIC PUBLISHERS INC Courtesy of PREMIERE MUSIC GROUP

Producer
Offshore, an association subsidized by the DRAC Brittany (Ministry of Culture and Communication) and the Regional Council of Brittany.

Co-producers
Le Centre Culturel André Malraux, scène nationale de Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy
Le CERC-centre de creacion musicau, Pau.

In residency at
La Soufflerie, scène conventionnée de Rezé
A Espaces Pluriels,
Théâtre Saragosse, scène conventionnée de Pau.

Production
Artistic direction Erwan Keravec
Pipers: Gaël Chauvin, Mickaël Cozien, Erwan Hamon, Gweltaz Hervé, Erwan Keravec, Guénolé Keravec, Vincent Marin, Enora Morice.
Light design, Yves Godin
Costumes: Tifenn Morvan
Stage and light manager: Mélissandre Halbert
Tour manager: Marie Rouzaut
Executive manager: Arnaud Caillé

Presented with support from
L’Etat – Préfet de la région Bretagne – DRAC Bretagne, la Région Bretagne
L’Adami, le Centre National de la Musique, l’Institut Français, la Maison de la Musique Contemporain, Spectacle Vivant en Bretagne, Spedidam

 

The Embassy of France to Australia

 

This concert is generously supported by Jeremy Newman.

 

Photo credits: Erwan Keravec by Christophe Raynaud de Lage

ARTIST Learn more about the artist

Artist Erwan Keravec - highland bagpiper, composer and improviser

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Erwan Keravec is a highland bagpiper, composer and improviser. In seeking out the more unusual sounds, and ways of playing and listening to his instrument, far from its original cultural setting, he is exploring improvised music, free and ‘noise’ jazz, and establishing a repertoire of contemporary music for solo pipes, trio with solo voice and with choir. With an interest in movement and in settings associated with reinvention, he also writes, plays and improvises for dance.
Since 2007, he has pursued his quest for a style of piping that’s removed from its original setting, with the projects Urban Pipes I (2007) and Urban Pipes II (2011). To make his intentions clear, he commissioned composers to write solo pieces for the instrument as part of the Nu Piping series (since 2011). So far, he has been behind 19 works by 17 composers. For the quartet SONNEURS, he commissioned 12 pieces. This research will lead to IN C // 20 PIPERS (2022) and 8 PIPERS FOR PHILIP GLASS (2024).

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