Liam Byrne and Laura Vaughan

Two of the world's finest viola da gamba players unite for a rare and captivating collaboration.

Step into a resonant sound world as two of the world's finest viola da gamba players unite for a rare and captivating collaboration. Presenting Liquid Threads, Liam Byrne (Berlin) and Laura Vaughan (Melbourne) explore the sonority of two bass viols in dialogue, a sound at once intimate, powerful, and rich with expressive depth.

Liquid Threads weaves the intricate and sumptuous music of 17th-century masters such as Ferrabosco II, Hume and Byrd, the passionate Sainte-Colombe, along with striking contemporary works receiving their Australian premieres. Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir brings her atmospheric voice to the viol, whilst Australian composers Alice Chance and Brooke Green offer evocative new works written especially for this collaboration. The close rapport between the performers brings each work vividly to life, revealing why this repertoire, though rarely programmed, continues to fascinate and move listeners.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.

Praise for Liam Byrne & Laura Vaughan

‘Byrne has done more than perhaps any living performer to drag the viol out of the musty early-music attic.’ – The New York Times

‘Stylish and expressive, nuanced virtuosity in the Forqueray, more moving yet in a reflective wisp of Marais’ – The Times

‘Laura Vaughan’s luscious depth of sound resonates across the centuries.’ – CLASSIKON

‘The tonal beauty and colours of the viola da gamba shone at the hands of Laura Vaughan.’ – Australian Arts Review

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

Laura Vaughan viola da gamba
Liam Byrne viola da gamba 

Program

Liquid Threads

Orlando Gibbons (ca 1583-1623)
Fantasia a 2 No.5

Alfonso Ferrabosco II (ca 1575-1628)
Galliard & Corranto

Hildur Guðnadóttir (b1982)
Stimm (World premiere)
Melody of Not Knowing (World premiere)

Matthew Locke (1621-1677)
Suite in C from The Consort in Two Parts for Several Friends
Fantasia, Fantasia, Saraband

Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe (fl. 1670s)
Concert III ‘Le Tendre’ from Concerts à deux violes esgales
[Ouverture] Le Tendre, Sarabande du Tendre, Gavote la Ferme, Menuet du Tendre

Laura Vaughan
The Velvet Deep

William Byrd (1643-1623)
Ne Irascaris

Brooke Green (b.1964)
Djeeban and the Moon (Word premiere)

Tobias Hume (1569-1645)
The Virgin's Muse

Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe (fl. 1670s)
Concert XLIV ‘Les Regrets’ from Concerts à deux violes esgales
Tombeau Les Regrets, Quarillon, Les Pleurs, Joye des Elizées, Les Elizées

Alice Chance (b.1994)
Dovetail - A Sonic Poem (World premiere)

About the Artists

Liam Byrne spends most of his time playing either very old or very new music on the viola da gamba. An obsession with the instrument’s most obscure 16th and 17th century repertoire is a recurring theme in his work, whether in devising baroque performance installations for the Victoria & Albert Museum or in creating new electronic works with Icelandic composer Valgeir Sigurðsson.

Liam’s solo performances frequently combine old viol music with new works written for him by composers such as David Lang, Nico Muhly, and Edmund Finnis, among many others. Over the years, Liam has worked closely with a wide variety of musicians, from Damon Albarn to Emma Kirkby, and is a frequent guest of contemporary music ensembles Stargaze, the London Contemporary Orchestra, and Crash Ensemble. Liam was awarded the prestigious Glenn Gould Bach Fellowship in 2024.

Laura Vaughan is a dynamic member of the early music movement in Australia, performing a wide range of solo and chamber repertoire on viola da gamba, violone, lirone and baryton across Australasia. As well as a deep interest in historical performance practice, she also fosters new Australian compositions for these venerable instruments from the past. Passionate about the unique sound world of the viol, she is committed to bringing this exquisite repertoire to audiences around the world. Laura appears on numerous recordings and works regularly with many Australian early music ensembles including the Orchestra of the Antipodes, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Genesis Baroque, Van Diemen’s Band, Bach Akademie Australia and is a founding member of Latitude 37 and the Gryphon Baryton Trio.