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C19 So Much Myself

  • May 7, 2023

    2.30pm - 3.40pm

  • Fairfax Theatre

    National Gallery of Australia

  • In Association with

Following the international success of Stalin’s Piano, virtuoso pianist Sonya Lifschitz and composer Robert Davidson have created a new audio-visual work that tells the stories of women who have shaped our culture, our societies, our world.

A five-part musical portrait gallery of creators spanning a millennium, So much myself weaves together virtuoso piano, archival audio and footage, narrative and music in a complex interconnecting tapestry of stories celebrating discovery.

These remnants of extraordinary lives are placed, as precious objects, into frames – musical frames provided by Sonya’s piano, which foster hearing the inherent melody and rhythm in the voices.

Sonya blends her own voice with these recordings, bringing to life stories from a thousand years ago, through to her own Ukrainian grandmother and great aunt recounting their escape from Kyiv during the Nazi bombings and massacres. These are stories of people bringing their fullest selves to the challenges of convention, danger, inertia and prejudice.

Artist

Sonya Lifschitz, piano

Robert Davidson, video and composition

Concept and script by Sonya Lifschitz & Robert Davidson

ARTIST Learn more about the artist

Artist Sonya Lifschitz

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Sonya Lifschitz is a pianist working across many contexts, with repertoire spanning from 15th century Faenza Codex to works written for her today. She is known for her fiercely imaginative, daring collaborations across theatre, dance, screen-based and visual arts, spoken word, and performance art. Described as “a life force of extraordinary density and capacity”, Sonya’s artistry combines bold adventurousness with “miraculous keyboard technique and musicianship” (Woodstock Times) to create work that positions classical and contemporary art music at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary performance practices. She is active as a soloist, creative collaborator, artistic director, educator, radio personality and arts advocate. Sonya has performed on major international stages to critical acclaim including the Barbican Centre (London), De Doelen (Rotterdam), Bargemusic (New York), Detroit Institute of Art (USA), Venice Biennale (Italy), and in many of Australia’s major international arts festival, including Adelaide (AF), Sydney (SF), Melbourne (MIAF), Brisbane (BF), Canberra (CIMF) and Darwin (DF) Festivals; and other prestigious festivals including Extended Play, Metropolis, MONAFOMA, Four Winds and Ten Days on the Island. A Fulbright Scholar, Sonya heads Music Performance and Creative Practice at the University of NSW and is a regular ABC Classic presenter.   Sonya Lifschitz is supported by Sharon Green and Marcel Skjald