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Duet For One

SONYA LIFSCHITZ - piano/voice/theatre
DAMIAN BARBELER - composer/media artist/director
TIM GRUCHYinteractive video artist/software

"Visually breathtaking, sonically haunting, and poetically charged. Lifschitz anchors the work with virtuosity, theatrical poise, emotional power". Eugene Ughetti, Artistic Director, Canberra International Music Festival

Incorporating live music performance, film, projections, ritual theatre, sculpture and sound design, this time-and-space-bending ‘live cinematic concert’ explores changing emotions, sometimes sad, sometimes surreal or exhilarating, around the vexed question of our modern-day relationship with the Australian natural landscape… What is this ‘estranged’ relationship? What is holding us back? What happens if we just go out there?

 

Duet for One is a collaboration between virtuoso pianist Sonya Lifschitz, composer/media artist Damian Barbeler and pioneering interactive media artist Tim Gruchy. It pairs spectacular imagery of the Australian landscape with Barbeler's colouristic and inventive music. The work is a unique display of Lifschitz's virtuosity and famous expressive capacity featuring the time-and-space-bending device of her performing live in duet with herself on location in the film.

 

Duet for One was created by the three collaborators over 2 years of periodic location shoots in far-flung natural locations. They travelled with a home-made "Klavier" piano which Barbeler designed and built specifically for Sonya to play on location. This project was a real-life journey of mystery and unexpected experiences for the trio that fed the lush richness and emotional complexity of this highly original and immersive work.

 

Duet for One is a fitting expression of the three artists shared long-term passion for pushing the boundaries of live music presentation to more fully explore our extraordinary natural world.

 

World Premiere: Canberra International Music Festival, 2025.

"A major contribution to contemporary Australian concert theatre — visually breathtaking, sonically haunting, and poetically charged. Lifschitz anchors the work with virtuosity, theatrical poise, emotional power, and a presence that perfectly integrates the live, the projected and imaginary. Duet for One is one of the most original and arresting works I have encountered on an Australian stage in recent years." 
Eugene Ughetti, Artistic Director, Canberra International Music Festival

"A poetic journey in sound and light. Sonya is astonishing both as a musician but also as a character.”

Tim Jetis, Jim Henson's Creature Shop, Cabinet of Wonders

 

“Shimmering and transcendent”

 Liza Lim, Composer

"Visually breathtaking, sonically haunting, and poetically charged. Lifschitz anchors the work with virtuosity, theatrical poise, emotional power".  Eugene Ughetti, Artistic Director, Canberra International Music Festival

Incorporating live music performance, film, projections, ritual theatre, sculpture and sound design, this time-and-space-bending ‘live cinematic concert’ explores changing emotions, sometimes sad, sometimes surreal or exhilarating, around the vexed question of our modern-day relationship with the Australian natural landscape… What is this ‘estranged’ relationship? What is holding us back? What happens if we just go out there?

 

Duet for One is a collaboration between virtuoso pianist Sonya Lifschitz, composer/media artist Damian Barbeler and pioneering interactive media artist Tim Gruchy. It pairs spectacular imagery of the Australian landscape with Barbeler's colouristic and inventive music. The work is a unique display of Lifschitz's virtuosity and famous expressive capacity featuring the time-and-space-bending device of her performing live in duet with herself on location in the film.

 

Duet for One was created by the three collaborators over 2 years of periodic location shoots in far-flung natural locations. They travelled with a home-made "Klavier" piano which Barbeler designed and built specifically for Sonya to play on location. This project was a real-life journey of mystery and unexpected experiences for the trio that fed the lush richness and emotional complexity of this highly original and immersive work.

 

Duet for One is a fitting expression of the three artists shared long-term passion for pushing the boundaries of live music presentation to more fully explore our extraordinary natural world.

 

World Premiere: Canberra International Music Festival, 2025.

"A major contribution to contemporary Australian concert theatre — visually breathtaking, sonically haunting, and poetically charged. Lifschitz anchors the work with virtuosity, theatrical poise, emotional power, and a presence that perfectly integrates the live, the projected and imaginary. Duet for One is one of the most original and arresting works I have encountered on an Australian stage in recent years." 
Eugene Ughetti, Artistic Director, Canberra International Music Festival

"A poetic journey in sound and light. Sonya is astonishing both as a musician but also as a character.”

Tim Jetis, Jim Henson's Creature Shop, Cabinet of Wonders

 

“Shimmering and transcendent”

 Liza Lim, Composer

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