When Music Plays…

Live at The Church

5 October 2025

Mara Kiek's expressive and compelling voice evolved in tandem with the discovery and inspiration offered by the many cross-cultural connections and collaborations in her career. For over 40 years, Kiek's ARIA winning band MARA! has been a platform for presenting music of many cultures—particularly those of the Balkans—layered with its members' international credentials in the worlds of jazz, classical, improvised and original music.

Long-term MARA! member and composer Paul Cutlan has composed a cycle of songs, to poems in some of the languages which have helped shape this cross-cultural journey. 'When Music Plays...' traces a narrative of love, the emotive potency of music, fallibility, and the healing power of reflection.  The language of each poem offers a different lens through which to appreciate life and the world—a unique idiom with its own imagery and 'music'. For this project, the MARA! quintet is joined by the emotive beauty of a string quartet, creating a transportive and expressive palette of sound.

Featured Performers

  • Mara Kiek

  • Llew Kiek

  • Sandy Evans

  • Paul Cutlan

  • Lloyd Swanton

  • Liisa Pallandi

  • Riikka Sintonen

  • Beth Condon

  • Oliver Miller

This performance will take place at The Church.

The Church is a meticulously restored 19th-century Gothic church in Alexandria, NSW owned by Judith Neilson AM that houses rehearsals and work development for musicians by invitation.

Performance

Performance

Sunday 5 October 2025
4:00pm

Location

The Church
9 Mitchell Rd, Alexandria

Tickets

Free, by ballot only

Ballot closes in

Ballot draw date: Tuesday 30 September 2025

Ticketing FAQs

  • All performances at Phoenix Central Park are free.

  • Phoenix Central Park is an intimate performance space and tickets are limited. Due to high demand, tickets will be issued at random to those who have entered each ticket ballot. Each performance has a separate ballot, so if you would like to attend multiple performances, you will need to enter each ballot separately.

    We advise you to listen to the artist you are entering the ballot for, and consider which shows you’d really like to attend. Entering more ballots does not increase your chances of attending.

    Please only enter our ballots with your own details - if we catch you using false details, you won’t have any luck. We reserve the right to cancel any tickets we believe are obtained through false information at any time.

  • If you are successful you will receive an email up to ten days prior to the performance with instructions on how to claim your tickets.

    This offer is only valid for a limited time. Unclaimed tickets may be forfeited. You will have the option of confirming up to two tickets for a performance.

  • No, your tickets will be valid for a specific performance only. If you are unable to attend, please pass the ticket onto a friend or contact us at tickets@phoenixcentralpark.com.au to allow someone else the opportunity to attend.

    You can enter ticket ballots for your chance to attend another performance.