Festival Director's Top 5 Shows

Adelaide Festival's Artistic Director Paul Grabowsky  

Paul Grabowsky is a pianist, composer, arranger, conductor – and is one of Australia’s most distinguished artists.

Born in Lae, Papua New Guinea in 1958, Paul was raised in Melbourne where he attended Wesley College. During the late 70's he became prominent in the music scene in Melbourne, working on various jazz, theater and cabaret projects.

He lived and worked in Europe and the US from 1980-85, during which time he performed with many jazz luminaries including Chet Baker, Art Farmer and Johnny Griffin. He returned to Australia in 1986 and established a reputation as one of Australia's leading jazz musicians with such bands as his own trio and sextet, the Wizards of Oz, and as musical director for singer Vince Jones.

He was musical director of Tonight Live with Steve Vizard from 1990-1992.

He has written the scores for over twenty feature film scores in Australia, the UK and US including 'Innocence' (Paul Cox), 'Last Orders' (Fred Schepisi) and 'Shiner' (John Irvin). His television credits include the series 'Phoenix' and 'Janus' and the Emmy-winning 'Empire Falls'. His works for the theater include two operas and various multimedia works.

He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra, with which he tours both nationally and internationally. Recent AAO projects have concentrated on collaborations with traditional and contemporary indigenous performers, something which Paul passionately advocates.

Among his numerous CD releases are two for the Hush series, designed to assist in the healing environment of Melbourne Children’s Hospital.

He has won four ARIA awards, two Helpmann awards, several Bell Awards and a Deadly award. He was the Sydney Myer Performing Artist of the Year in 2000, and received the Melbourne Prize for Music in 2007.

He was Artistic Director of the Queensland Music Festival from 2005-2007 before being appointed as Artistic Director for the 2010 and also 2012 Adelaide Festivals.

artsHub caught up with Paul Grabowsky in advance of Adelaide Festival. He tells us what are the five must-see shows at this year's event.

Is there a mission to your work? What is it?

Missionising is dangerous, as it tends to be built on faith-based assumptions, however I am happy to admit to a belief in the power of the imagination to transform our lives, and that of future generations. 'Art' is a difficult word to pin down, but if nothing else, it aims to communicate. That alone represents a mission for any artist, myself included, whether as musician or festival director.

What is the best thing about your job?

The opportunity to commission new work, or to bring works or people into our neighbourhood on the premise that a festival offers the best possible conditions for their creations - this is a great privilege for me.

What’s the worst thing about your job?

Not being able to include everything I would like to see in a festival. So many works are worthy, and unfortunately we work to budgets!

How hard is it to be authentic in the arts nowadays?

As opposed to when? Art is in a sense always authentic; it is an expression of its creators, whatever their intentions. Even a fake is an authentic fake.

What are the Top 5 shows not to be missed at the Adelaide Festival this year?

Ennio Morricone Live - (Grabowsky worked for seven years to bring Morricone to Australia!)

Morricone is one of the towering figures in contemporary music. He has been a huge influence o many musicians, and I count myself amongst them. This will be his first visit to Australia, a very significant event.

A Streetcar

Warlikowsi is a vital voice in European theater, and this production, starring the legendary Huppert has been a box office hit in France. This is a 21st century Streetcar, the likes of which Australian audiences have never seen.

Raoul

Thieree is the epitome of the Renaissance Man. Everything he does is superbly realised, and it would not be a exaggeration to say that he is the greatest physical theater performer of our times. This is his first solo show, and will be a highlight.

Hard to be a God

Fearless, extreme, a buckets-of-blood production from Hungary which will certainly shock and provoke. It is a superbly realized look at a dark corner of the human journey, not without its lighter moments.

The Caretaker

In Pinter's own words, the definitive production of his 1960 masterpiece, starring Jonathan Pryce, one of the finest actors of his generation.

Chiri featuring Bae Il Dong @ Barrio

A groundbreaking collaboration between two of Australia's greatest contemporary musicians (trumpeter Scott Tinkler and drummer Simon Barker) and the extraordinary vocal power of pansori master Bae it-Dong.