Musical activism: Contemporary Australian art song in performance and pedagogy
Presented by Linda Barcan and Coady Green
With current statistics showing the distressing reality that violence against women is a widespread and serious problem, Australian composer Linda Kouvaras' song cycle Art and Life is immediate and relevant. Based on real cases of domestic abuse against women in late 20th-century Melbourne, this cycle was the first classical concert work in Australia to specifically address the issue of domestic violence. Mezzo-soprano Linda Barcan and pianist Coady Green have performed this cycle extensively in concert and on recording, recruiting each performance to the cause of action against gender-based violence, and emphasising the importance of “musical activism” in culture and society. As teachers of singing, piano and collaborative piano, Barcan and Green have presented excerpts in side-by-side performances with students of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, exposing them to new music and suggesting ways in which students of singing and collaborative piano may craft to become “musical activists”. This lecture recital will present excerpts from Art and Life with critical commentary from Barcan and Green, also addressing more contemporary Australian works written in response to the domestic violence crisis. Barcan and Green will foreground the possibility of social change through song, highlighting strategies for social engagement through audience development and outreach.
July 31 - August 3
International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT) Toronto Canada