I was fortunate to produce a collaborative performance by a visiting Brazilian concert pianist together with an Australian visual artist at The Deakin Edge, Federation Square in May 2013.

I had not produced or directed an artistic collaboration before, so it was out of my “corporate lawyer comfort zone”.

I was amazed that an ordinary member of the community could have access at a very reasonable cost to such an amazing venue, and felt the good pressure of living up to the high standards of the venue and the opportunity.

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My introduction was as follows.

Bem Vindos. Continentes – Da tirania à providencia da distancia. [Welcome. Continents – The tyranny and providence of distance.]
This evening’s recital sets out to explore in music and accompanying images, the themes of distance and place. Our very special guest, Douglas Guarneri, sets out to identify musical style by continent, matching style to place – thereby permitting us to marvel at the difference. One musical instrument, so many emergent styles.

We, as Australians, fixate on our distance. We ponder the disadvantage, the tyranny of the global core and periphery that is perceived to work against us. Seldom do we embrace the advantage, the providence, of what is preserved through that distance. Were it not for that distance, would the legacy of what is unique to these continents have been created and preserved?

Douglas’ great-grandfather, journeyed from the home of the famous lute and violin-makers in Cremona Italy, to far away Brazil. Douglas has been no less bold, in returning to Europe to study in Paris at the Sorbonne, in St Petersburg at The Academy of Music, and thereafter working in Paris, London, New York, Rio, Greece, Hong Kong and now Berlin, and presenting concerts and teaching French language in a myriad of French provinces in the Pacific, Africa and the Caribbean.

In the final section, Australian Impressions, Douglas presents his musical response to Professor Blainey’s “The Tyranny of Distance”, a piece which he debuted in Paris, and tonight he also premieres three new pieces.

Douglas’ great aim is the collaboration between all of the arts, particularly music and visual arts. He has composed musical vibrations to interact with the imagery and colour shades of two Imagined Landscapes created by visual artist Meredith Squires. For the final original piece, Uluru, neither artist had been to Central Australia. They were invited to each present a work focused on their understanding of the Uluru landscape, place and distance. The interaction of each artist’s perception is presented tonight.

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For the Continent Australia, I was pleased to have introduced Douglas to the work of the Melbourne-born Australian composer, Percy Grainger.

His performance of Colonial Song, a piece arranged lovingly for piano from its original composition for two voices, harp and full orchestra, was inspired. I thank Meredith Squires, Jo Verity, and also Tim Young, Jan Grant and the team at the Australian National Academy of Music for their hosting of Douglas and commitment to excellence.