Syzygy

A deeply personal meditation on how influence becomes identity.

A fearless pioneer in chamber music, Syzygy Ensemble is an award-winning ensemble celebrated for its virtuosic precision, innovative programming, and ability to connect viscerally with its audiences.

Syzygy Ensemble presents Catalyst, a concert that places the idea of artistic transformation at its centre, exploring the teachers who leave lasting imprints and the family support that makes a creative path possible. At the heart of the program is a new work by Australian composer Holly Harrison. Commissioned for Syzygy Ensemble by John Banks (father of cellist Campbell Banks), the piece reflects on the visible and invisible catalysts that influence a life in music.

Framing this premiere are works that trace Campbell’s own musical lineage. Kodály’s monumental Sonata for Solo Cello stands as one of the 20th century’s great transformative works for the instrument, a piece that expands the cello into a complete expressive world. Alongside the Kodály are two electronic works by Campbell, built entirely from samples of his teacher Roel Dieltiens’ recording of the sonata. Composed in Zurich in 2014, they capture a moment of transition.

Together, these works form a program about inheritance, memory, and transformation. Catalyst  is a meditation on how influence becomes identity — how a teacher’s sound, a parent’s belief, a composer’s imagination, and a life-changing work can combine to shape the artist who emerges.

Praise for Syzygy Ensemble

‘…left the audience with a heart-in-mouth, edge-of-seat feel, with the excitement of the music having a visceral impact.' – Cut Common

‘One of Australia’s leading new music groups delivers a virtuosic program packed with rollicking tunes.' – Limelight

This concert is part of our Chamber of the Heart series. Chamber of the Heart is made possible thanks to the generosity of the Alan and Mary-Louise Archibald Foundation.

Tickets

Standard $55 ($45 Concession)

Please note, seating in the Primrose Potter Salon is General Admission.

A Transaction Fee between $4 and $8.50 applies to orders made online and by phone. Delivery Fees may also apply. A ticket limit of six is in place online to ensure fair ticket access for all. Want to bring a bigger party? Call our Box Office during business hours on (03) 9699 3333 to book.

Artists

Syzygy Ensemble
Laila Engle flute
Leigh Harrold piano
Campbell Banks cello
Robin Henry clarinet
Kyla Matsuura-Miller violin

Program

Zoltán Kodály
Cello Sonata in B minor
    I. Allegro maestoso ma appassionato
    II. Allegro molto vivace

Campbell Banks (Kodály remixed)
Foreshadows
Shadows

Holly Harrison
New work