ON TOUR

5 Dec 2021 - ABOVE / BELOW - Christine Johnston joins Sonya Lifschitz in a concert of Tchaikovsky and George Crumb in SA.

Ukrainian-Australian pianist Sonya Lifschitz is at the forefront of cross-disciplinary collaboration in Australia. Innovative and fiercely creative, Sonya re-contextualises the classical canon and pushes the boundaries of conventional concert practice. 
Conceived as a reflection on the cyclical nature of life, 'Above / Below' pairs the poetic, lyrical vignettes of Tchaikovsky's The Seasons, Op. 37a (based on the twelve calendar months of the year) with the abstract mysticism of George Crumb's Makrokosmos, Book I (based on the twelve signs of the zodiac). 
Joining Sonya is performance artist Christine Johnston (known affectionately as 'Madame Lark'), whose uncanny ability to mimic Australian bird calls – along with her gift for narration – has seen her appear at festivals and concerts across the country. In this concert, she'll play the musical saw, imitate the song of the lark, and recite poetry as Sonya juxtaposes two widely divergent musical voices, allowing them to speak to each other in surprising and illuminating ways. 
  • 5th December, 2021
  • UKARIA Cultural Centre
    119 Williams Rd, Mount Barker Summit SA 5251
  • Info & tickets: Ukaria Cultural Centre

25 March 2022 - CRUMB’S LYRE with Madame Lark (Christine Johnston) and pianist Sonya Lifschitz will be touring and to Melbourne Recital Centre.

The worlds of classical music, performance art and comedy collide showcasing Sonya and Christine’s consummate musicianship, thrilling audacity and imagination.

 

Christine Johnston as Madame Lark joins piano siren Sonya Lifschitz to unleash their dueling scores. Part cabaret, part recital, this delightfully surreal performance places legendary composer George Crumb’s zodiac-inspired fantasy pieces amidst the sounds of the Antipodes. As Sonya conjures up mythical, primordial sounds from inside the piano, Madame Lark takes to her musical saw, vocals and an overhead projector. Together they bring George Crumb’s masterwork for piano to life in an intriguingly whimsical and altogether unexpected way.

  • 25th March, 2022
  • The Salon, Melbourne Recital Centre
    31 Sturt St, Southbank VIC
  • Info & tickets: Melbourne Recital Centre

Crumb's Lyre trailer...

August 2021 - Mudgeeraba - Acoustic Life of Sheds - Bleach Festival

So sad about the update from BLEACH 2021 that they have had to cancel the festival due to the recent COVID-19 developments across SE QLD. Thinking of and thanking the amazing Rosie Dennis and all the team at Bleach who have been brilliant, and all the fantastic artists, crew, production and supporting community… Thank you Alycia Warner for looking after us, and thanks also to my beloved co-creators Peter Nelson and Selene Cochrane. Looking forward to future BLEACH.

https://bleachfestival.com.au

 

Four different sheds and four different composer/musician performances... and an audience road trip visiting each shed performance through the Gold Coast hinterland. BLEACH FESTIVAL's event - Acoustic Life of Sheds.