STRATA II welcome
It is my pleasure to welcome you to STRATA II, and my great privilege to once again curate three nights of outstanding creative music at Phoenix Central Park.
Our aim with the first addition of Strata last year was to galvanise a scene that had been diffused both by the effects of the pandemic and the systematic erosion of Sydney’s live music culture.
The ritual of a festival is an important one. It creates context for both artists and audiences alike. Whilst last year’s festival was nothing short of joyous, to repeat this ritual fulfils my most sincere hope for Strata – to create an ongoing space of resonance in Sydney from which ideas and expression can be transmuted into a broader community. To highlight the human aspect of the music, present ways of being in the world, and future possibilities, which I believe improvisation and creative music do so more uniquely than any other art form.
This year’s program focuses heavily on new work; featuring seven Sydney and/or world premieres or commissions, largely by a new generation of practitioners leading a creative renaissance in Sydney and further afield.
We’re also very excited to welcome two international guests to this year’s program in renowned UK pianist/organist Kit Downes, and Canadian sound artist Scott Gailey.
We look forward to seeing you March 29th-31st for an incredible three nights of music.
Laurence Pike
Musician/STRATA Curator
about LAURENCE PIKE
Laurence Pike is a prolific Australian musician/composer/producer whose virtuosic drumming and multi-disciplinary practice have made him one of Australia’s most respected and in-demand musicians. Pike has been operating at the cutting edge of the electronic, rock and jazz music worlds for the better part of two decades as part of forward-thinking groups such as PVT, Triosk, Liars and Szun Waves.
2020 saw the release of ‘Prophecy’, his third solo album in as many years for the UK’s The Leaf Label.
He has produced two acclaimed duo albums with legendary jazz pianist Mike Nock, is a long-standing band member of Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders, as well as working with Sarah Blasko, D.D Dumbo, Daniel Johns, Bill Callahan and many more.
He has appeared on over 45 album releases, and performed in 36 countries across the globe. Laurence is the curator of the STRATA Festival at Phoenix Central Park, Sydney, and was a music fellow of the Australia Council For The Arts in 2020/21.
