MIJF Congress: Perspectives on Jazz Piano
Australia’s most exciting pianists unite in conversation. In this illuminating discussion, uncover the techniques, inspirations and creative journeys of four unique artists aligned in their passion for jazz and for the piano.
Artists include Australian Music Prize long-listed composer Luke Howard; Fulbright scholar/vocalist/pianist and songwriter Monique DiMattina; broadcaster/pianist Adam Rudegeair; and the ARIA-winning composer and jazz musician Barney McAll. Expect storytelling, live performance and comradery, perfect for aspiring pianists, accomplished artists and anyone who loves jazz.
Meet the Panelists
Luke Howard – Pianist/Composer
Luke Howard has been described as “absolutely heavenly” (Mary Anne Hobbs, BBC Radio 6) and his music as “an ambient masterclass” (Musos’ Guide), but words cannot capture the potency of Howard’s enthralling compositions. A pianist since childhood, Howard has scored films and performed with artists as diverse as Lior and Jeff Mills, capturing audiences with contemporary classical arrangements that curl and twist around the boundaries of a particular emotion. Though wordless, Howard’s songs perform a function unique to music as a medium – that of evoking without describing, bringing listeners to a feeling which defies articulating. He has toured extensively with shows in Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg (Elbphilharmonie), Istanbul, London, Moscow and Warsaw. Howard is one of Australia’s foremost practitioners of contemporary classical music whose work continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Monique DiMattina – Pianist/Composer/Vocalist/Songwriter
Monique DiMattina is a pianist, vocalist, songwriter and composer. A Fulbright scholar, she is an honorary fellow at the University of Melbourne and teaches piano in the Melbourne Conservatorium and Monash University jazz departments. She has released four solo albums as a pianist/composer and three albums as a singer/songwriter to critical acclaim. She has worked with artists such as Bjork; opened for Lou Reed; toured internationally as principal pianist in Disney’s The Lion King; and was Musical Director of Tapestry: The Songs of Carol King feat. Vika Bull and Debra Byrne. Monique is a Yamaha artist and mother of two.
Moderator: Adam Rudegeair – Pianist/PBS 106.7FM Broadcaster
Adam Rudegeair is a prolific composer, performer, filmmaker, and educator based in Melbourne. His music is rooted in jazz and funk, with significant influences from the sounds of New Orleans and Minneapolis. His current projects as a leader include Lake Minnetonka, The Bowie Project, and the ongoing collaboration with jazz legend Bob Sedergreen ‘Bourbon Street to Brunswick Street’. The fourth album by the Bowie Project, ‘Strange Changes’ was recorded as part of his Master’s studies, and is launching as part of the 2021 Melbourne International Jazz Festival. Since 2008 Adam has presented the weekly jazz radio program Black Wax on PBS 106.7FM.
Barney McAll – Pianist/Composer
Barney McAll is an ARIA-Winning, Grammy Nominated jazz pianist and composer. He has worked with artists including Dewey Redman, Roy Ayers, Kenny Garrett, Maceo Parker, Jimmy Cobb, Eddie Henderson, Aloe Blacc, Josh Roseman Unit, Fred Wesley and the JB’s, Groove Collective, Kurt Rosenwinkel‘s “Heartcore” and many more. He has been a member of Gary Bartz’s band since 1997 and was Music Director for vocalist Sia from 2011-2012. Barney completed a Bachelor of Music at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, studying with pianists Paul Grabowsky, Tony Gould and Mike Nock. He was awarded the Australia Council Fellowship in 2007; and was the 2015 recipient of the Peggy Glanville-Hicks composer residency in Sydney, Australia and won an ARIA for Best Jazz album for his record Mooroolbark.