An extraordinary journey of artistic expression, ANAM Set 2024 celebrates the harmonious blend of innovation and tradition. A unique platform launched during the 2021 lockdowns to cultivate creative collaboration, the ANAM Set 2024 continues to inspire. ANAM musicians tackle a new work written especially for them, while composers showcase their talent for enhancing our contemporary music climate.
With newly commissioned works announced earlier this year, 10 ANAM Set 2024 pieces had world premiere performances during ANAM musician Recitals in Melbourne from June to August. And ANAM Alumnus Rohan Dasika (double bass, 2014) performed the premiere of Peggy Polias’ Anguilla for double bass (2024) at The Church, Sydney, on the 21st of September.
The remaining ANAM Set 2024 – a plethora of diverse new compositions, including solo and accompanied pieces, electronics and audio tapes, and even an out of tune piano – will be performed in the upcoming musician Recitals this year.
In addition to the evocative premiere performances, this year ANAM musicians gain invaluable experience at the Melbourne Recital Centre recording their ANAM Set piece. In August, ANAM musicians Harry Egerton, Liam Freisberg, Oakley Paul, Liam Pilgrim, Anna Rabinowicz, and ANAM alum Rohan Dasika each had 40 minutes in the Primrose Potter Salon, supported by ABC sound engineer Alexander Stinson and the Melbourne Recital Centre tech team.
“August’s recording session had it all - swooning neo-Romanticism, shimmering impressionism and one piece that stumped even our seasoned ABC recording technician with its novel intonation. Undertaking a recording of a piece commissioned for you in the Primrose Potter Salon was just another day to ANAM musicians recording their works, who were the picture of professionalism — some even arriving from interstate that day to make it happen. Each were rostered into a 40-minute block, playing through their piece a few times, patching any moments identified by the technician, and then went on their way. If the recording session is anything to go by, this will be a special collection of recordings for all involved.” – Alex Owens, ANAM Librarian, Robert Salzer Foundation Library.
The 2025 Set has been announced with each work to be performed in the 2025 Recital season.
Words by Jasmin Bardel.
The 2024 ANAM Set commissions are generously supported by the Australian Government through Creative Australia and the Anthony and Sharon Lee Foundation.
First published in volume 53 of Music Makers.