Microfiche are one of the most creative and boundary-pushing improvising jazz acts to emerge from the Sydney scene in the last 10 years.

Max Alduca - double bass
Nick Calligeros - trumpet
Holly Conner - drums & electronics
Hilary Geddes - guitar
Sam Gill - saxophones & percussion
Phillippa Murphy-Haste - clarinets & viola

Melbourne/Naarm-based On Diamond take an anomalous look at alternative pop. Their sound relies on an interactive group dynamic and is inspired by folk, noise, rock, jazz, and improvised music, with lyrics that are personal and poetic. The current ensemble features Lisa Salvo (vocals), Scott McConnachie (guitar and synth), Myka Wallace (drums), Jules Pascoe (bass), and Duré Dara (percussion).

Tickets: Free, by ballot only

Diane Berger (flute), Richard Rourke (clarinet), Sumiko Yamamura (pianoforte)

Parallax - Paul Moulatlet (b.1955) Flute, clarinet & piano
Clarinet concerto K622 slow mvt - W.A. Mozart (1756- 1791)
Leaves . . . . in . . . time - Howard Dillon (b.1954) Flute, clarinet & piano
Il Gardellino RV 428 1st and 2nd mvts - A. Vivaldi (1678- 1741)
Cirrus - Alan Holley (b.1954) Flute, clarinet & piano
Where the Rivers Meet - Johanna Selleck (b.1959) Flute & piano

Tujiko Noriko (JPN) - Japanese experimental-pop artist and film composer

Mara (AUS) - Sydney-based composer, curator and experimental musician working with the viola as well as electronic music traditions

Peter Hollo DJ (Utility Fog) (AUS)

As the madness of war and genocide continue with renewed murderous rage across the Middle East, we are inviting you to come together in sound and community. Entry is by donation to an organisation of your choice.

Matt Ottignon baritone saxophone and clarinet, Gabriella Hill tenor saxophone, Sam Gill woodwinds, Henry Hall double bass, Keyna Wilkins flutes, Lily Innis cello, Chloe Chung flutes, Sarah Purdon trumpet, Peter Farrar woodwinds and percussion, Hinano Fujisaki tenor saxophone, Riley Jones percussion, Lauren Tsamouras piano and Clayton Thomas double bass.

Switzerland-based Australian cellist James Morley plays:

SALVATORE SCIARRINO Ai limiti della notte
GIUSEPPE COLUMBI Chiacona
GYÖRGY LIGETI Sonata for solo cello
JANE SHELDON The Unfolding Hour
DAVID FULMER Star of the North - Requiem for Zhanaozen
FERGUS HALL Adrift
LIZA LIM Spirit Weapons I
BRETT DEAN Eleven Oblique Strategies
HEINRICH IGNAZ FRANZ VON BIBER Passacaglia

Tickets: Free, by ballot only

Toydeath — circuit-bent toy mayhem

Corrupted Mutex — fractured digital textures and unstable rhythms

Josh Shipton — vocal soundscape machine

NikNaK — gesture-controlled electronic performance

Alongside live music curated by Ligature, six dancers move on impulse in a structured improvisation. Listen, watch, dance, draw, write, during this performance.

Peter Trotman
Tony Osborne
Andrew Morrish

inpromptu #8 An evening of Performance Improvisation

The concert includes both new and reimagined songs from Greenwell’s extensive catalogue of performing arts and concert works, made especially for this piano trio.

The program will include pieces set to lyrics by leading Australian and international contemporary writers such as Jordie Albiston, Fiona Benson (UK), Alison Croggon, Katy Didden (US), Ross Gibson, Maryanne Lynch and Felicity Plunkett. The concert also features the world premier of Katie Liu’s Shorebird Suite.

Tickets: Free, by ballot only

Diane Berger, flutes and Richard Rourke, Clarinet, are members of the Opera Australia Orchestra and pianist Sumiko Yamamura is one of Australia's leading chamber pianists. New works by Alan Holley, Howard Dillon and Paul Moulatlet and a work by Johanna Selleck plus Mozart and Vivaldi.

Led by Iraqi-born violinist and joza (Iraqi kamancheh) player Nawres Alfreh, Shanasheel explores the worlds of maqam, regional folk repertoires, and classical forms. Focusing exclusively on instrumental music, Shanasheel crafts journeys built on melody, improvisation and rhythmic conversation. Their repertoire moves between classical works, village songs, and newly arranged pieces.

The trio come together for their first public performance, building on a shared language they've been developing in duo and trio formations since Peter's move to Sydney in 2025.
Sam Gill - saxophones
Alister Spence - piano & preparations
Peter Nilsson - drums & percussion

For this collaboration, Saskia and Ben present a performance focused on collective experimentation and the percussive — exploring repetition, resonance, and sonic stillness.
Saskia Shearer - percussion
Ben Lopes - guitar

Round the Sun band for this performance features:
• Gary Daley, composer, piano accordion and electronics
• Hilary Geddes, electric guitar
• Jacques Emery, double bass
• Nic Cecire, drums.

MAD BAG: Gabriella Hill + Aidan Wong (tenor saxophones)

AUGURY: Andrew Fedorovitch (bass guitar), Riley Jones (drums), Axel Powrie (flute, bass clarinet, synth)

TONE BIRD: Romy Caen (harmonium, electronics) and Melanie Herbert (violin).

Jana Irmert is a Berlin-based sound artist and composer working across spatial composition, film and live performance, using extensive experimentation with field recordings.

Alexandra Spence and Mara will collaborate live for the first time with an improvised electro-acoustic set. 

Composer Cyrus Meurant presents his recently completed two-part work Distant Cities for cello and piano, inspired by Rimbaud's Les Illuminations.
Saxophonist Andrew Smith will then join him to perform Constancies for alto saxophone and piano.
Solo piano compositions, including "Sortie" (from the ballet Au revoir mon ami), "Monday III" from the album Monday to Friday (composed for people living with dementia) and Mneme.

Cyrus Meurant, piano; Andrew Smith, alto saxophone; Daniel Yeadon, cello

Led by pianist and composer Lauren Tsamouras, Another Green World draws on elements of Greek traditional music as a way of exploring Tsamouras’ Greek heritage and what it means to be Greek-Australian today.

Lauren Tsamouras (piano), Hilary Geddes (guitar), Brendan Clark (bass) and Ashley Stoneham (drums).

Ruhail Qaisar (IND) - noise music and power electronics

Marcus Whale (AUS) - genre-agnostic electronic singer-songwriter

Jungist (FBi Radio) (AUS)

Karolina Beimcik - voice, violin
Parizad d. - visual arts
Hugh Stuckey - guitar 
Jay Dagbar - tabla

Rise and Fall is an immersive audiovisual performance exploring the fragile balance of nature through improvisational jazz and Indian classical music. The project weaves Polish and Indian folk influences into a spontaneous, evolving soundscape.

Pianist Ronan Apcar and saxophonist Alice Morgan join forces to present a contemporary take on saxophone playing

PAUL STANHOPE phoSpheric Variations
ELIZABETH JIGALIN New work World premiere
EINOJUHANI RAUTAAVARA Notturno
KEVIN JUILLERAT L’Étang du Patriarche
ANDREW HOWES The Eyes of the Earth
GERARD BROPHY trois tableaux

Tickets: Free, by ballot only

Tabla virtuoso Bobby Singh is coming to Sydney to promote his extraordinary new album Sutradhaar - a cross-cultural musical journey featuring some of Australia’s finest musicians and composed by his guru, Dr Aneesh Pradhan, arranged by Sandy Evans. Including Jeff Lang, Greg Sheehan, Lara Goodridge, Shenzo Gregorio, Ben Walsh, Zela Margossian, and Tjupurru. 

Featuring the Australian premiere of NZ composer Gemma Peacocke’s enchanting Hazel, this concert flows through mesmerising rainscapes by Jabra Latham, to the dappled moonlight of Alex Turley.

Paige Gullifer, soprano saxophone
Ryan Piccione, alto saxophone
Henry Docker, tenor saxophone
Rachel Down, baritone saxophone

PERFECT ACTRESS - Perfect post-punx playing powerfully. First show of ‘26!

SAW IN HALF - Yet to beat the “screamo” allegations.

BLACK METAL 3 - Huge drone/noise with synth (Mitch Elliott), guitar (Jasper Craig-Adams), sax and flute (Hinano Fujisaki).

ERATICS - First show! Feat. members of Witness K, Double Date, Ex- Colleague, Osbo, The Baby and many more.

A range of sonic performances at La Perouse, or tune in to 90.7 FM as the entire program will be broadcast.

Joyce Hinterding will reveal electromagnetic signals around us as material for composition.
Moss Hopkins and Alexandra Spence have been making sounds and recordings at the headlands over many visits.
Nicolas Montgermont uses a DIY antenna that provides a sense of scale for sounds and signal transmission.
Hayden Ryan, a Yuin-Walbunja artist and sound scholar, will create a generative soundscape with spoken word.
Sisters Akousmatica will act as mobile radio receivers through their costumes.

The Sydney Cringe Festival is back and we are here to be your weirdest event of the year.

Cassy Judy, Designer Mutts, Doctor Robot, Julio Stinky, Myxi Buns, S. Miles, Scruffamudda, Sister Ursuline, Terrificus, The Lost Futures, Tom Adamson, Whatever Eva and Skitzenbitz, DJ Underwatermelon, The Clown Bride, LIVING SCIENCE Dept. (Visuals)

Guitar Club brings together Hamburg-based guitarists Danica Hobden and Pouya Abdi with Sydney musicians Hinano Fujisaki and Alex Inman-Hislop.

DANICA HOBDEN Gamelan; Pescatarian; Sleepwalker; Warmbluetig; Brouwer’s Will

POUYA ABDI Facereader; Kunterbunt

Tickets: Free, by ballot only

Launching our Watchtower Residency program! This month, art-music collaboration CIRCUL will inhabit the Macquarie Watchtower to develop a new sound and performance work.
At the end of the residency, CIRCUL will present a performance in the Watchtower at sunset on Saturday 28 March.
CIRCUL is Kate Brown (vocals/sound objects), Angie Garrick (guitar/sound objects), Matthew Gorgula (drums/sound objects), Laurence Quinn (guitar/sound objects), and Lois Waters (costume/sound objects).

DRJ TRIO - experimental trio influenced by jazz, progressive, rock and classical music. Led by Diego Idarraga Duarte with Roger Ellis on Double Bass and James Wright on Drumset.

EPHEMERA QUARTET - a musical exploration of celestial landscapes such as pulsars, craters, planetary atmospheres, stars, sun and void. Merging the sound worlds of jazz and contemporary classical and set to real space sounds and projections. The ensemble is led by Keyna Wilkins (piano/flute/compositions) with Elsen Price (double bass/loop pedal), Will Gilbert (trumpet) with new addition of Jodie Michael (drumset) and includes freely improvised pieces.

Ross McHenry, Julius Schwing, Django Rowe
Ross McHenry - bass
Julius Schwing - guitar
Django Rowe - guitar

Chaos Collective
Ben Lopes - guitars, composition
Saskia Shearer - percussion
Maddy Briggs - piano
Lilly Innis - cello

Madam Sandler - 4-piece Freak-Fusion mayhem to the Lazybones stage with Preston on keys and vocals, Blake on drums, Ori on guss, and Jake on bass.

Cone of Confusion - Psych Jazz band blends sounds between psych, ambient, prog rock and jazz fusion.

Witch Doctor

NICK DAN + JIM DENLEY + GABRIELLA HILL
ALZHEIMER BLANKS
SODIUM TAIL

Acoustic and electronic music.
Guitars, saxophones, a drum kit, four samplers and tbd.

Celebrating over two decades as one of Australia’s most distinctive jazz ensembles.

Jeremy Rose (saxophone, electronics),
Nick Garbett (trumpet),
Noel Mason (bass) and
Alex Masso (drums).

Allara (AUS) - Yorta Yorta double bassist and composer

Liam Keenan (AUS) - Gomeroi guitarist

George Crumb’s Makrokosmos, Book 1

Sonya Lifschitz (piano) is joined by performance artist Christine Johnston (musical saw and overhead projector) as Madame Lark. Part cabaret, part recital.

Jon Rose and Erik Griswold are two of Australia’s foremost improvising experimentalists. Unnamed Road engages two violins: one an amplified tenor violin, and keyboards — a regular piano and a MIDI keyboard hooked up to samples of prepared piano - in free improvisation.  

Tickets: Free, by ballot only

Zoltan Fecso & Anna Morley launch their debut collaborative album Desire Path on Thursday April 9th at The Vanguard with special guest Jancsi. Desire Path, out on Oxtail Recordings, is a collection of atmospheric duets for vibraphone and synthesiser, reflecting the two musicians’ acute sense of melody and space.

Jancsi (Yon-Chi) is the open door alias for Hungarian artist Kata Szász-Komlós (Daily Toll, String Club). A musical experiment invoking bi-lingual poetics and child-like musical improvisations.

D.C Cross (Sydney) + Andrew Tuttle (Brisbane). No Drums Records presents "A seated listening experience", supported by the Inner West Council.
After several years developing a friendship and mutual appreciation society, innovative folk musicians D.C Cross and Andrew Tuttle combine to present a double-headline tour along the Australian east coast in April 2026.

Anna Morley - Vibraphone 
Zoltan Fecso - Synthesizer

On Desire Path, Zoltan Fecso and Anna Morley channel their sense of improvisation and minimalism, moving between propulsive sequences and hazy ambience.

Solo performances by Ben Carey and Lottie Sebes.

Ben Carey is an Australian composer, improviser and educator, known primarily for his work with analogue modular systems.

Sound artist and performer Lottie Sebes explores the sonic junction of music and machine, embracing the clunky aliveness of outmoded mechanisms. In her sonic performance Conduit, she uses an industrial sewing machine motor as the main sound source. 

"Instrumente und Rauschen" (1995/96) - Peter Ablinger
"No Death" (2026)* - Louis Wishart
"Cloud of Possibilities" (2026)* - Isabella Rahme

Louis Wishart - Piano
Uma Volkmer - Trumpet and Melodica
Gabriella Hill - Clarinet and Tenor Saxophone
Sierra Sharman - Viola
Leo Apollonov - Violoncello and Keyboard
Isabella Rahme - Harp and Voice
Hayley Chan - Percussion.

Jordan Chung presents a new set of original music for solo piano. Drawing from an array of influences, the performance will explore the freedom of improvisation.

Tickets: Free, by ballot only

The Three Seas brings together musicians from Australia and India, fusing Baul mysticism, Himalayan folk, spiritual jazz and dub into a rhythm-driven, trans-cultural sound.
Raju Das Baul (vocals, khamak), Matt Keegan (saxophone, harmonium, effects), Deo Ashis Mothey (dotora, marchunga, vocals, guitar), Hilary Geddes (guitar, effects), Brendan Clark (electric bass), Gaurab Chatterjee (drums, dubki, vocals)

Delay 45 is a contemporary jazz and improvisation quartet led by trumpet/composer Tom Avgenicos, with Roshan Kumarage (piano), Dave Quinn (bass) and Ashley Stoneham (drums).

Unsuk Chin Etude
Elizabeth Younan Piano Sonata No. 2
Alexander Scriabin Piano Sonata No. 3
Alexander Scriabin Piano Sonata No. 10
J.S. Bach Partita No. 5 in G Major

Lee Dionne, piano

O Mensch! transforms 21 poems by Friedrich Nietzsche into a series of musical declarations in major living French composer Pascal Dusapin’s intimate song cycle.
Mitchell Riley - baritone and Jack Symonds - piano.

Tickets: Free, by ballot only

The Mesos Trio is an Australian Folk/Indian classical ensemble featuring Susie Bishop (violin), Maharshi Raval (tabla) and Elsen Price (double bass). They perform unique arrangements of Folk music from the broader European community and Indian Classical inspired improvisations. 

Tickets: Free, by ballot only

Laura Chislett - flute
Satsuki Odamura - koto
Brad Gill - percussion

This performance will consist of structured improvisations: Kaze, Flung Ink, Crossways, Murmuration

Tickets: Free, by ballot only

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, L. 86 (1894) - Claude Debussy, Arr. Benno Sachs

Tango Concerto for Double Bass and Chamber Orchestra (2026) – Harry Young

Pale Fires (2017) – Grace-Evangeline Mason

Dumbarton Oaks (1938) – Igor Stravinsky

Phillip Johnston - Alto Saxophone
Peter Farrar - Alto Saxophone
Tim Clarkson - Tenor Saxophone
Jim Loughnan - Baritone Saxophone

This performance pays homage to the compositions of American soprano saxophone virtuoso Steve Lacy, as well as original jazz and New Music works by Johnston.

Hamed Sadeghi leads through a world of contrasts from delicate exchanges with a string trio and the purity of classical opera, to the depths of Persian classical music.

Performed by Hamed Sadeghi (tar, composition), Aida Manouchehrpour (soprano), James Tarbotton (violin), Beth Condon (viola), Freya Schack-Arnott (cello) and Sohrab Kolahdooz (percussion). 

One of the biggest musical influences in Rachel Scott’s life was the composer Martin Wesley-Smith (1945 – 2019) and she has often programmed his works in concerts over the last two decades. Over the last year, she has been recording all the works he wrote for solo cello – some for cello alone, some for singing cellist, and the incredible ‘Welcome to the Hotel Turismo’ for cello and audio-visuals.

For one night only in Sydney, she’ll launch her new CD of all of Martin’s music for solo cello.

Sat 2 May, 2:00pm

Sat 2 May, 7:00pm

Missy Mazzoli Tooth and Nail
Anna Meredith Tuggemo 
Daniel Wohl New Work
Pierre Jalbert Howl
Danny Elfman Piano Quartet

Spontaneous compositions via a whiteboard and 4 of Sydney’s best improvising musicians,
Daniel Pliner and Novak Manojlovic - pianos,
Jacques Emery - double bass
Alon Ilsar - drums,
directed by Melbourne’s Lachlan Mitchell who offers chords to be used in this improvisational experiment.

Katia Geha and they leave me in the dark
Beth Roche Refraction, Reflection
Jessie Cox Enter the Impossible
Gerard Grisey Excerpts from Vortex Temporum

Cal Folger Day - tenor guitar 
Phil Christie - keys and electronics
Jack Duffy - uilleann pipes

Touring Australia for the first time in conjunction with the Audible Edge Experimental Music Festival in Boorloo, these two projects both explore verbatim historical texts through lithe ensemble playing. Drawing on garage rock, jazz modalities and minimalist repetition, songs are both tightly structured and gloriously open to chance.

Afternoon Concert: 16 May 2026, 2-6pm
The Music Box Project - Imaginary Radio Station
Jim Denley and the Eternally Orchestrating Sonoverse
Trevor Brown - Chromo Suono Solo
Monika Brooks

Evening Concert: 16 May 2026, 7.30-10.30pm
SPEL with Jason Noble and Louisa Rankin
W.E.S.T. - Wilcox Encarnaçao Swanton Trio
Hilary Geddes Quartet

Teeth Dreams (VIC)
Schkeuditzer Kreuz Plays ‘Death Dream Delirium’
Maddy Briggs
Atavus infectum

Teeth Dreams (VIC)
MX Robert Frost
The Grey Men
Atavus infectum

Multi-instrumentalist whose work focuses on the exploration of the guitar, Oren Ambarchi is a prolific solo artist and collaborator who has performed and recorded with the likes of John Zorn, Fennesz, Jim O’Rourke, Sunn O))), Merzbow, Keiji Haino, Boris and many, many more. 

His highly developed and abstracted instrumental language exists in the spaces between modern electronics and processing, liminal improvisation, minimalism and rock music.

An intimate winter gathering in the Blue Mountains, bringing together Dungeon Synth and Dark Ambient artists.

Tir
Lurid Orb
Most Ominous Mystic
Atavus Infectum
Mythscribe
Aniseed Shroud