Creative Biographies
Philip Glass Composer American composer and pianist Philip Glass is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Through his operas, symphonies, compositions for his own ensemble and his wide- ranging collaborations with artists ranging from Twyla Tharp to Allen Ginsberg, Leonard Cohen to David Bowie, he has had an extraordinary and unprecedented impact upon the musical and intellectual life of his times. The musical style that Glass was a key figure in was eventually dubbed ‘minimalism’, though he preferred to speak of himself as a composer of ‘music with repetitive structures’. There has been nothing ‘minimalist’ about his output, composing more than 30 operas large and small, 14 symphonies, 13 concertos, soundtracks to films, nine string quartets and a growing body of work for solo piano and organ. The Trial (2014) is his 26th opera and the Sir Christopher is a British playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director. He is best known for his play Les Liaisons Dangereuses based on the novel of the same name and the film adaptation. He has received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay: for Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Atonement (2007) and The Father (2020), winning for Dangerous Liaisons and The Father . He is also known for his work in the theatre including Les Liaisons Dangereuses and The Philanthropist . He has translated the plays The Seagull (2008), God of Carnage (2009), The Father (2016) and The Height of the Storm (2019). He also wrote the books and lyrics for musical Sunset Boulevard (1995), for which he received two Tony Awards for Book of a Musical and Best Original Score. Franz Kafka Writer third opera collaboration with Christopher Hampton. Sir Christopher James Hampton CBE FRSL Librettist Franz Kafka (1883 - 1924) was a German-language novelist and writer from Prague. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic, and typically features isolated protagonists facing bizarre or surrealistic predicaments and incomprehensible socio-bureaucratic powers. His works broadly explore themes of alienation, existential anxiety, guilt and absurdity. His best-known works include the novella The Metamorphosis and novels The Castle and The Trial . The term ‘Kafkaesque’ has entered English to describe absurd situations like those depicted in his writing.
Melissa Cantwell Director Melissa is an experienced director, writer and performance maker who takes a holistic and inclusive approach to her practice and is committed to developing and showcasing innovative performance works for adventurous audiences. Her recent directorial works include The Children (BSSTC); Mary Stuart for Perth Festival and Performing Lines WA; The Arsonists; The Watsons (WAAPA); Whale Fall (Perth Festival and PICA); Nocturna (The Kabuki Drop); and Slap and Tickle (Adelaide Cabaret Festival). As Artistic Director of Perth Theatre Company, her highlights include Equus; Tender Napalm; Blackbird; From the Rubble; The Ugly One; The Goat; Speed the Plow and The Removalists. Melissa has a BA (Film, ECU) and post-graduate BPA (Directing, WAAPA) and received an Emerging Leader’s fellowship from ISPA. She been a guest artist and speaker for numerous national festivals and institutions, and a guest lecturer and director for Notre Dame University, ECU and WAAPA. She has been commissioned by PICA, Playlab, Blas Swan State Theatre Company, City of Perth, Lotterywest, Barking Gecko and Perth Festival. Her interest in opera was ignited during her secondment to Opera Australia’s production of Sweeney Todd at the Sydney Opera House, assisting Gale Edwards. Mark Coughlan Conductor Mark has been a major figure in Australian musical life for 30 years in various roles as a concert pianist, conductor, artistic director and educator. He has held a number of important leadership positions including Head of Music at The University of Western Australia, CEO of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Board Member of Musica Viva Australia and Federal Chairman of the Australian Music Examinations Board. Mark is currently Executive Director of Piano Plus Australia and the Sydney International Piano Competition. Alongside these diverse roles he has also owned and operated a Medical Centre and owns an art gallery. Mark is the Founding Chair of Lost and Found Opera where he currently holds the position of Co-Artistic Director. He is also Musical Director of the En Coda Symphony Orchestra, a unique ensemble that merges sound therapy with the traditional orchestra format. He is the founder and director of The Orangery Gallery in Perth, and for 20 years has run one of Western Australia’s most successful concert series, Music on the Terrace , in Government House Ballroom. As a pianist Mark trained in Perth and London and he plays a wide range of solo repertoire as well as having a special interest in working with singers. Mark is a three-time finalist for West Australian of the Year.
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