Jim Moginie, Sophie Hutchings, David Bridie & More Announced For Piano+Place Concert Series

Piano+ have announced an enticing new concert series called Piano+Place, where every Friday in July, one of Australia’s most renowned musicians will take to an historic landmark in Sydney (Eora) to deliver a unique take on the acoustic piano.

According to a press release, the series of four intimate gigs will feature impromptu compositions, improvisations, and new takes on established classics by those taking the stage – Jim Moginie (of Midnight Oil fame), renowned pianist and composer Sophie Hutchings, David Bridie (Not Drowning, Waving) and Chris Abrahams (The Necks). The concept itself was hatched by Moginie, who developed it in tandem with heritage curator Ross Heathcote.

On the genesis of Piano+Place, Moginie said in a formal statement: “Ross and I developed the concept with the aim of revealing a secret side of Sydney that takes celebrated artists out of their usual surrounds to historic Sydney spaces that aren’t usually accessed for music and that offer incredible musical inspiration through their spectacular acoustics. With Australian musicians playing in these famed Sydney spaces we share through the series both our fascination with this city while creating something magical for the artist and audiences.”

Moginie will perform first, with his show slated for July 5 at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park. Abrahams will follow, delivering two performances at the Elizabeth Bay House on July 12. Hutchings will then play a set in the Stapleton Room at Paddington Town Hall on July 19, before Bridie wraps things up on July 26 with a show in the Paintings Galleries at the State Library of NSW.

In a statement of his own, Abrahams says of what we can expect from his performance: “A large part of my music is about playing my way into the sonic resonances of the space I’m in. “Elizabeth Bay House would have had music played at it so I feel like I’m possibly adding to the history of the place. Architecturally with that dome above it, I think it’s going to be sonically an exciting space to play in and very reverberant.”

Meanwhile, Hutchings opined that “we live in an over-stimulated environment”, with her performance being “about stripping back the layers, to let go and immerse oneself into a world of space and tranquillity through the layers of natural sound that come from the piano”.

Tickets for all four shows are on sale now – head here to grab yours.