Sound Chapel creator and one of Australia’s most renowned composers, Georges Lentz, will be bringing his string quartet to Cobar this weekend to perform as part of his annual Live Music Festival.
The concert venue, the Cobar Sound Chapel, is the former Silver Tank water tower, which Mr Lentz worked with Australian architect Glenn Murcutt to convert into a permanent sound installation artwork.
It was officially opened with The Noise String Quartet (pictured below) serenading the big crowd as the sun set on April 2, 2022.
This year’s quartet line-up features top strings from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Tamara Elias, David Wicks and Christopher Pidcock, led by Lentz on the violin.
Tamara Elias is among the finest violinists of her generation and is a much sought after soloist, chamber musician and leader noted for her sensitivity, clear tone and distinctive sound.
David Wicks is a formal principal viola with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and has been guest principal with the Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras.
He is a musician of Rock and Classical music.
Cellist Christopher Pidcock performed with Lentz at the opening of the Sound Chapel in 2022 and also visited Cobar on a Sydney Symphony Orchestra tour in 2014.
He enjoys both early and contemporary music and fosters the idea that improvisation is part of being a classical musician.
The concert will open with an invigorating piece by Cobar High School’s taiko drumming students outside the Sound Chapel.
The students will play an original piece entitled ‘Source’, which was written by musicians Graham Hilgendorf and Masae Ikegawa from YuNiOn.
The audience will then move inside the Sound Chapel for the remainder of the concert to hear the quartet play Beethoven’s mighty Op 95, along with music from Greek-French avant-garde composer Xenakis and Danish folk tunes.
Local singer/songwriter, Shane Josephson, will also be performing his original song ‘On Top of the Hill’ which celebrates the history of the Silver Tank.
He will be accompanied by other local musicians Cassandra Best on percussion and Laura Andrew on saxophone.
“We’re very much looking forward to bringing some live chamber music to Cobar and are very grateful to Manuka Resources for their support,” Mr Lentz said.
Performances/workshops and a visit to Cobar Primary School on Friday afternoon to talk about music, along with a show for the residents of the Lilliane Brady Village retirement home, are also planned for this year’s Live Music Festival.
The event is free with community members and visitors invited to attend.
