A rare opportunity to hear an international calibre artist performing locally in a close up informal setting, in a fascinating concert of inspired evocative improvisations inspired by actual historic events surrounding the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883.

“Krakatoa - Volcanic Cataclysm, Shockwaves & Sunsets” is a new work for violin describing the eruption and the complete explosion of the entire Island of Krakatoa, the energy of shockwaves, volcanic ash and huge Tsunami it sent out into the world, and how the volcanic ash stayed in the atmosphere for several years afterwards causing red sunsets all over Europe mentioned in writings at the time and in the paintings by William Ascroft in England and Edvard Munch in Norway and many others.

The composer shares insights into the behind-the-scenes processes in creating such a work as “Krakatoa”, and explains the research and development involved, and the journey of translating events, drawings, historic record and scientific data into feelings and evocative music using his unique world-first approaches. A unique opportunity for Fremantle audiences and musicians alike to be moved, inspired and learn about how the Kakatoa concert was created.

Note: Persons under 15 yrs must be accompanied by an adult

A four day intensive for up to 20 participants consecutively over 4 days. 

Designed to bring value and massively enrich your own artistry and creativity, the workshop series is open to both full-time professional practitioners as much as part-time community musicians. 

The comprehensive daily Creative Music Workshop program is an awesome opportunity to explore and develop your practical and creative music skills, and helps develop your artistry in every aspect of music making - accessing inspiration and ideas without “writer’s block”, accessing more emotional depth, having experiences of creating music, acquiring new musical skills, new practical understandings of how music can be created, insights into creative approaches, ways of working creatively solo and collaboratively, and new approaches to wellbeing as arts practitioners including learned strategies and practices to support being able to self-regulate, calm, nurture, express, feel and share, belong, create, contribute, and feel valued ongoing.

The content of the workshops is relevant to all instruments including voice, across all styles of music from classical to folk, rock, pop, blues, indie, ambient and world music. Includes small group and one-on-one time, in an integrated, exciting and inclusive program of growing and deepening your creative music-making.

Being open to the general public to observe, it is also a fascinating and enriching opportunity for the public to wander in and see an insider’s view of the musicians working together with an international calibre artist in the intimate creative processes of music-making.

Note: Persons under 15 yrs must be accompanied by an adult

Community concert featuring works by workshop participants

At the conclusion of the four days Creative Music Workshops Intensive, there will be a concert offering a unique opportunity to hear the musical ideas of each workshop participant from their time at the Workshops, much the same as a group of painters might exhibit their pictures as a group exhibition.

Persons under 15 yrs must be accompanied by an adult

International violinist Rupert Guenther presents Marcus Aurelius as part of a series of world premiere performances of his fascinating new original works for violin based on the life and work of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (102-180 AD) drawing particularly from his book of writings “Meditations” in the highly atmospheric Government House Ballroom.

The Marcus Aurelius work illustrates through music the great contrast in psychological maturity which a statesman of Aurelius’ integrity and humanitarian vision would bring to the world stage if suddenly appearing now, as a leader in the modern world, standing in stark contrast among our current rather psychologically unbalanced world leadership. 

The music is a series of 7 extended improvisations as meditations on Aurelius’ philosophy of “good-spiritedness” (the Greek eudaimonia), the path of a life spent practicing virtue and living in accordance with nature, and to be in self-control enough to live free from anger, envy, and jealousy, and how a world leader like this would help us achieve a future of security through wisdom, collaboration and cooperation, instead of seeking security through perpetual suppression, domination and wars.

This performance takes place on a specially designed electric baroque violin custom made for the work, created in discussion with Australian master luthier Paul Davies in country Victoria.

Using musical elements from old Europe, the middle ages and beyond, this concert is a musical immersion in the greatest universal humanitarian ideals and aspirations. Compassion is the light which guides all recovery and healing in humanity. The most evolved civilisations have all been highly altruistic and compassionate. It is the recall of the sensitivity and empathic disposition which has become all but lost to us in the modern world - and the antidote in the vibrational medicine of compassion through the invisible architecture and resonance of this music.

This concert of contemplative music with influences of the Middle East takes us into the world of the mystics of the 11th-14th centuries, with imaginative fragments of sound we would find in the sacred places of that time. The music derives its inspirations from the devotional love-poetry of the likes of Hafiz, Kabir and Rumi, and sets the listener on a mystical journey into the yearning for divine love and the presence and quietude of the hermit saints of the East.

A rich journey of world music, from the silk road through eastern Europe and Asia, this concert takes us into the wilderness of the natural world: the canyons, bamboo forests, misty mountain tops, temples and rivers. Quietness is discovered to have always been there - we just had to stop and listen to it. This quietude has been the secret of the saints and mystics throughout time, who through years of seclusion and meditation practice could attain a deep stillness. An opportunity to re-set your own inner compass to your heart, and dial down your inner volume levels to quiet.

International violinist Rupert Guenther presents Marcus Aurelius as part of a series of world premiere performances of his fascinating new original works for violin based on the life and work of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (102-180 AD) drawing particularly from his book of writings “Meditations” in the highly atmospheric Hackett Hall at WA Museum Boola Bardip.

The Marcus Aurelius work illustrates through music the great contrast in psychological maturity which a statesman of Aurelius’ integrity and humanitarian vision would bring to the world stage if suddenly appearing now, as a leader in the modern world, standing in stark contrast among our current rather psychologically unbalanced world leadership. 

The music is a series of 7 extended improvisations as meditations on Aurelius’ philosophy of “good-spiritedness” (the Greek eudaimonia), the path of a life spent practicing virtue and living in accordance with nature, and to be in self-control enough to live free from anger, envy, and jealousy, and how a world leader like this would help us achieve a future of security through wisdom, collaboration and cooperation, instead of seeking security through perpetual suppression, domination and wars.

This performance takes place on a specially designed electric baroque violin custom made for the work, created in discussion with Australian master luthier Paul Davies in country Victoria.

The Middle-East and North Africa of antiquity was a place of science, scholarship, astronomy, art, education, architecture and culture, way more advanced than its European counterparts for thousands of years. The Damascus concert using musical flavours typical of the plainsong and chant styles in Eleusinian, Gregorian, Byzantine and Arabic music, traces the journey of humanity in melismatic improvisation-style musical reflections, and offers a window into the heightened atmosphere and illumination in the high cultures of that time.