ACO Up Close: Hand to Earth with the ACO Quartet
Fri, 11th Sep 2026 07:00 pm
The oldest music tradition in the world. The very best of contemporary sound. Hand to Earth (HtE) is an independent quintet in which Yolŋu song keepers Daniel and David Wilfred recontextualise their 40,000 year old song tradition in a resolutely contemporary setting with three of Australia's most distinctive musicians, Sunny Kim (voice) Peter Knight (trumpet/electronics) and Aviva Endean (clarinets/electronics). HtE has released three albums, which have won international praise, and performed in some of the most prestigious venues in the world. Richard Tognetti saw Hand to Earth play at the Barbican in 2025 and instantly knew he had to work with them. This intimate recital marks the start of a special relationship. The first half of the concert is a showcase of Hand to Earth's hypnotic, elemental sound, as the musicians fuse Daniel and David's ancient songs - sung in the Wägilak language - with influences from minimalism, jazz, and electronica. The second half premieres new settings of several pieces from Hand to Earth's three albums, created for the group alongside a quartet of ACO musicians led by Richard Tognetti on violin. This will be a musical evening of power and grace, which will draw you into a sound world that feels ancient and immediate all at once. ARTISTS Daniel Wilfred voice, bilma David Wilfred yidaki, voice Sunny Kim voice percussion Peter Knight trumpet, electronics, synthesiser Aviva Endean clarinets, winds, electronics Richard Tognetti violin Satu Vänskä violin Stefanie Farrands viola Julian Thompson cello LOCATION The Neilson, ACO On The Pier Pier 2/3, Walsh Bay Arts Precinct 13A Hickson Road Dawes Point NSW 2000 CONCERT duration 75 minutes (no interval)
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