SOUNDS NEW: Michael Clarke and BMiR Artists

Dr. Michael Clarke is Professor of Music and Acting Dean of the School of Music Humanities and Media at the University of Huddersfield, UK where he is currently Director of the IRiMaS project (Interactive Research in Music as Sound). Michael’s research includes composition, software development for music and music analysis. Both his compositions (both acoustic and electroacoustic works) and software have won national and international prizes, including winning European Academic Software Awards on a record three occasions. In 2011 he was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship. He graduated with a PhD from St Chad's College, Durham.

Megumi Masaki is a pianist, multimedia performing artist, educator and curator. She is recognized as an innovator that reimagines the piano, pianist and performance space. Her work pushes boundaries of interactivity between sound, image, text and movement in multimedia works through new technologies, including hand-gesture-motion tracking to generate and control live-electronics and live-video, AI, 3D visuals, keyboard-controlled computer game, e-textile sensors and active infra-red tracking. As a Japanese-Canadian artist, her work also explores how human rights and environmental issues can intersect and be communicated through music. Over 70 compositions have been created with/for Megumi and she has premiered 150 works worldwide. Megumi was appointed to the Order of Manitoba and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
www.megumimasaki.com

A “jazz trio” that eschews the mantle and gives it some crushed up No-Doz tablets; Milton Man Gogh is the collaborative effort between Andrew Saragossi (Tenor Saxophone), Zac Sakrewski (Double Bass/Effects) and Benjamin Shannon (Drums & Percussion). The Australian trio’s distinct style and approach to music making is aimed at bringing together the often far-spread constellations of music lovers; from the festival stage, to the cellar jazz club through to the living room metal show. With an energetic and unpredictable live show  MMG have rapidly become one the Australian jazz-sphere’s must see acts.   

Milton Man Gogh’s unique sound is an amalgamation of the core influences of each member – jazz and improvised music, contemporary classical, progressive rock and metal. Equally comfortable plundering sounds from Meshuggah and Donny McCaslin to Aphex Twin and Captain Beefheart, Milton Man Gogh seeks to explore personal inquiry through composition, ultimately being brought to life in the studio, through music videos and live performance where they showcase their raw and untamed intensity and energy.

Zac Sakrewski is a bassist, composer and session musician from the idyllic Sunshine Coast, Australia. With a strong desire to experiment and a sympathetic ear, he has developed a playing style that transcends genre and function to cultivate collaboration and kindness. Zac started studying music at the age of 17 and was privileged to study with composer and conductor Robin Smith (Royal Philharmonic, Mike Oldfield, Kanye West (pre Ye)). To further his studies, he attended the Queensland Conservatorium of music, studying improvisation and composition with renowned Israeli composer Yitzhak Yedid and Double Bass with Peter Walters and Michael Morgan (Metropolitan Opera) during his undergraduate and later, with Marian Heckenberg (QSO). Zac has released two albums under his own name and his compositions have been nominated for prestigious awards such as the International Songwriting Competition, BELL awards, Queensland Music Awards and the 4ZZZ hottest 100. He has shared the stage with International and domestic artists such as Yitzhak Yedid, Phil Emmanuel, Julian Arguelles, Kristin Berardi and many more. Zac’s current projects include Milton Man Gogh, Lamborghini Eagleman, Faux Bandit, Jam of a Lifetime, Milk Buttons, Strangely Enough, Cowbird, Martin Kay’s Forage, June Cartel and The Polaroids.

Zac Sakrewski was generously supported by the Repsol Emerging Artists Award.

With a passion for the unorthodox and a knack for cultivating unique ensemble identities, Melbourne-based saxophonist, improviser and composer Andrew Saragossi has established himself across several and varied creative outlets as a chameleon with a wind instrument - not bound by genre or personal taste, but by a relentless search for deeper musical meaning.

Saragossi’s artistic practice is multidimensional. Whilst firmly grounded in the jazz tradition, his affinity for experimentation, and his deeply personal approach to improvisation and extended instrumental techniques (honed during his Master of Music studies in the Netherlands/Germany) has evolved to broaden his sonic potential into a realm beyond the stereotypical function of the saxophone.  

His versatility and fluidity are reflected in his diverse and critically recognized original projects, through which he has released over 11 albums and toured internationally.   These include, experimental folk/jazz duo MEATSHELL, avant-bogan progressive trio Milton Man Gogh and his latest project Loose Leaf ft. Helen Svoboda (double-bass) and Canadian drummer Dylan van der Schyff, who released their debut album How we Cope in April 2023.  

In 2022, Saragossi was nominated for the prestigious Freedman Jazz Fellowship and is currently undertaking the Bespoke Artist professional development program with Speak Percussion.

Andrew Saragossi was generously supported by the Repsol Emerging Artists Award.

Benjamin Shannon is carving a niche in the Australian and international music scene distinguished as a percussionist, educator, curator, and composer. Ben's unyielding pursuit of musical growth fuels his endeavours in teaching, composition, and performance. His involvement in projects Milton Man Gogh, Shamin, Kodiak Empire, Big Dead, Brisbane Conduction Orchestra, and others, have contributed to a portfolio of over 20 releases and countless performances/tours, home and abroad. His collaborative endeavours include performances with Scott Tinkler, Yitzhak Yedid, Katatonia, COG, The Contortionist, to name a few, also earning acclaim for his compositions at the Bell Awards, Queensland Music Awards, and Australian Art Music Awards. Having participated in the Banff International Jazz Workshop and the Australian Art Orchestra Creative Intensive Music Program, Ben's commitment to cross-cultural collaboration is evident. In 2017, he joined the iconic Art As Catharsis label, contributing to bookings and an administrative role for acclaimed acts Qais Essar, Hekka, Rafiq Bhatia, KNOWER, and more, resulting in consistent events, tours and festivals throughout Australia for local and international artists. In his role as conductor of The Brisbane Conduction Orchestra, Ben champions diversity, inclusion, and a secure improvisational space. His tireless advocacy in the Australian contemporary jazz scene is highlighted through constant curation in this field.

Benjamin Shannon was generously supported by the Repsol Emerging Artists Award.

Award-Winning Conan Karpinski is a South African born Composer & Songwriter living in Vancouver, BC. Thriving in diverse audio environments, Conan seamlessly transitions from working with full orchestras across Canada and Europe one week, to energizing crowds at nightclubs the next. 

Conan got his start as a Hip Hop & Pop producer in the UK where he ran his own studio and toured the scene extensively. He is a record producer & multi-instrumentalist who has donned an array of creative personas; most notably as experimental pop artist CON THE ARTIST, and as the lead songwriter and frontman of Canadian Rock band Soul Push. His original songwriting can be found in shows like The Order (Netflix), Good Trouble (ABC Family), Story Of A Girl (Lifetime), Family Law (The CW), and various shows on Apple TV, Disney+, & HBO Canada.

In 2022, Conan won the LEO Award for Best Musical Score in a Feature Film for his work in Portraits From A Fire, directed by Trevor Mack. The film won over 15 awards internationally and can be found on HBO Canada & Apple TV. In 2022, Conan scored a handful of films that saw premieres at the iconic Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles (Ataraxia), VIFF & London Independent Film Festival (Terror Forming), & screenings at the Harvard University Arts Museum and Honolulu Museum of Arts (Portraits from a Fire). 

In 2023, Conan held residency at the highly acclaimed Slaight Music Lab hosted by the Canadian Film Centre and the Screen Composer Academy held in Glyfada, Greece, to hone his craft as an orchestral composer for film, television, & gaming media. 

When Conan isn’t composing music or taking stage, he can be found directing indie music videos or building custom skateboards in his wood shop.

Conan Karpinski was generously supported by the Repsol Emerging Artists Award.

Khai Rose, a dynamic performing artist and music coordinator based in Vancouver, BC, brings a wealth of experience to her upcoming media arts residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in January 2024. Notably recognized for her supporting role in CW's Charmed and her lead performance in the local musical Disco Inferno as the captivating character Astrid, Khai seamlessly navigates between the stage and screen. 

Beyond her on-stage prowess, Khai's professional journey extends into marketing and project coordination for non-profits, showcasing her versatility. Her current role as a music coordinator at The Song Rep, a prominent music sync licensing agency, involves collaborating with renowned clients in film and television, including Paramount Plus, Hallmark, and Lifetime.

Dedicated to her core passion for music production, Khai is diligently preparing for the release of her first EP as an independent musician in the coming year. Whether commanding the stage with her band, gracing the theatre with her presence, or contributing behind the scenes, Khai thrives in diverse entertainment projects. Her residency at the Banff Centre promises to be a transformative chapter, where she continues to push artistic boundaries and further solidify her presence in the dynamic world of media arts.

Khai Rose was generously supported by the Ada Bronstein Endowment.

Chloë Dickens is an award-winning, multi-genre artist based in the UK and USA. As a composer, Chloë enjoyed collaborating this past year with the classical/jazz septet FatnFancy Ensemble on her new composition Few and Far Between. Her folk/jazz trio Layer by Layer are a force to be reckoned with, trademarked by their unique ability to sing and play various instruments at the same time. Their debut EP Hindsight is streaming on all platforms. Shortly after the 2020 pandemic hit, Chloë co-founded the Flying Bedroom Theatre Company. Using live music and puppetry, they create accessible performances and workshops designed to inspire children to enter the arts. Chloë received first class honours in her Bachelor’s degree in Classical Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and is currently completing her masters in Classical Performance at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, New York. She hopes to reach new heights of musical excellence under the tutelage of Daniel Phillips, and discover more about her musical voice in one of the most culturally and musically diverse cities in the world.

Chloë Dickens was generously supported by the Cyril & Elizabeth Challice Fund for Musicians.

Stef Van Vynckt is a young Belgian harpist specialising in new music. He is co-founder of the up-and-coming chamber music ensemble EMC - Extended Music Collective, and has worked closely with leading contemporary composers to further expand the harp repertoire in works that showcase both the delicate side of the harp we are accustomed to, as well as the lesser explored and at times abrasive possibilities that the instrument can possess. Future projects include collaborations with Christopher Cerrone, Alexander Schubert, Jason Eckardt, Elena Rykova, John Supko, Baldwin Giang and Alireza Farhang. He is regularly invited to perform with leading ensembles like Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt. In 2022 Stef co-founded Inland Ocean, an international cooperative of performance artists.

Stef Van Vynckt was generously supported by the Repsol Emerging Artists Award.

Nina Vanhoenacker is a Belgian cellist and performer. She studied classical music performance at the Royal Conservatories of Antwerp and Ghent (BE). She is a founding member of Extended Music Collective, a chamber music ensemble focused on new, classical music and Inland Ocean, a global, creative cooperative of dancers, musicians and composers who transcend geographic, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries to pioneer contemporary art. 

As a soloist, chamber musician and improviser she performs contemporary classical and experimental music, both acoustic and electro-acoustic. This has led to collaborations with international composers and premieres of works by Missy Mazzoli, Alireza Farhang, Ollie Hawker, Adriana Hölszky and more. She performed at several festivals and venues in Europe such as Ruiskamer Festival (BE), Klangspuren Festival (AT) and Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik Darmstadt (DE).

Nina is strongly interested in boundary-stretching and interdisciplinary, collaborative projects. She created the accompanying music for visual artist Mike Nixon’s animation film River (2020) and often performs with dancers. After a month-long residency at the Akureyri Art Museum in Iceland, Nina premiered her first solo project, Urban Refuge, in 2023, featuring new and pre-existing music for cello, voice and electronics by composers such as David Fennessy, Anqi Liu and Leilehua Lanzilotti.

Nina Vanhoenacker was generously supported by the Sylvia & Jack Chetner Endowment.

Robyn Jacob is a pianist, singer, composer and educator living and working from the unceded territories of the Sḵwxwú7mesh, Xʷməθkʷəyəm and Səl’il’wətaʔ Nations. She has toured Canada and internationally with her avant-pop project Only A Visitor, who have recently released their fourth album Decay on Mint Records. Her compositions include commissions by Grammy winning Third Coast Percussion, Architek Percussion, So Percussion, Chor Leoni, and Little Chamber Music, and collaborations with visual artists and instrument makers. In 2020 she celebrated the release of Earth Leaps Up on the label elsewhere music with her duo The Giving Shapes in collaboration with harpist Elisa Thorn. Since 2012 she has been part of the multi-disciplinary collective Publik Secrets, currently artists in residence at the Hadden Park Field House with the City of Vancouver. In 2013 she toured Bali with Gamelan Gita Asmara, and has since been co-leading Gamelan Bike Bike.

Robyn Jacob was generously supported by the Repsol Emerging Artists Award.

Ariana Brophy is a musician, storyteller, archival recordist, and force of nature, in addition to being a sound designer film. With over two decades as a singer and performer, Ariana’s voice has graced audiences across Canada and the United Kingdom. Most recently, while living in the UK in 2018-2020, she immersed herself in two residencies at the National Centre for Folk Arts at Halsway Manor in Somerset, UK (2019, 2020), followed by quietly releasing her acoustic/digital only album Naked, as well as writing the single, Her Name for the film, I Had A King (2020). In 2023, Ariana was a part of the team awarded the Leo Award for Best Feature Documentary Sound for Aitamaako’Tamisskapi Natosi; Before the Sun.

Stephen Thomas, of Folkroom Records (London/Brighton, UK) praised her as “one of the [Folkroom’s] stars of 2019,” saying “Gorgeous, evocative songs are Ariana Brophy's wheelhouse… perfect for the darkening of the winter months - cosy, and warm.” Her performances celebrate the strength in fragility and — with her balance of conversational humour and tales of human pain — prove that laughter can share a stage with tears. Ariana’s upcoming album, Under the Covers & Standing By the Window, is expected in May of 2024.

Ariana Brophy was generously supported by the Edith Marion Ramsay Memorial Endowment.

B O K E H, the artistic alias of Chloë Lewer, is an audiovisual artist, singer, music producer, actress and film producer who has been based in Berlin since 2011, hailing from Aotearoa (New Zealand) currently based in Berlin, Germany.

Her latest album, entitled room 42, is a record that B O K E H wrote, performed, engineered, and produced herself. The album was crafted in her Berlin studio and on the road, with its name derived from the latitude where the songwriting process began - 42°S in her home country of Aotearoa, as well as a mysterious hotel room where the production of the record started during lockdown in 2020.

B O K E H emerged in 2016 and creates electronic indie pop songs that are gentle and dreamy, yet also bold and powerful, with a touch of melancholy. Her poetic lyrics are enveloped in analog synths, adding a unique layer to her music. Listeners can expect a modern, cinematic, electro-indie pop sound with a nostalgic 80s/90s twist.

With a background in film and acting, B O K E H has a talent for imagining characters and stories, getting lost in fantastical moments. This ability is reflected in her music, which carries a cinematic quality. Through her music, B O K E H draws strength to face life fearlessly and embrace a genuine appreciation for herself and others.

Her artist name comes from the Japanese term ‘bokeh’ which is also used in photography and film to describe a type of blur. Chloë is also a music video producer and director and creates all visual content for B O K E H herself. B O K E H’s main following is in the United States, following the success of the remixes of Options and I Know You Know. Her latest album, room 42 was released in 2023. Aside from B O K E H, Chloë is also a songwriter/producer for other artists - attending songwriting sessions and music camps regularly. Her releases total to 35 million streams on Spotify alone.

Influences include James Blake, L’impératrice, Okay Kaya, Beach House, Soko, Timi Yuro, Karen Dalton, Air, Kate Bush, Imogen Heap, Weval and Billie Eilish.

B O K E H was generously supported by the Repsol Emerging Artists Award.