BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
When violinist Sarah Curro was tasked with arranging a program worthy of a national audience — to perform with some of the highest calibre musicians in Australia — the process was surprisingly simple.
In fact, it was just a matter of gathering a few friends, and making the artistic decisions with a swift “yeah, great!” spoken between them.
The concert in question is the third part of the Aquilina Gala Series hosted by the Melbourne Digital Concert Hall. As Sarah paints a complete picture of this live streamed event, she reveals the way Australia’s artistic community is capable of providing friendship along each step of the way — including arts patrons who make gifts to musicians out of the goodness of their heart, and organisations such as MDCH that provide a “miracle” when they support musicians in times of need.
Sarah, let’s get straight down to business. Tell me where you’re at right now, as an artist.
The lockdown period was very enlightening. My husband Paul Davies had just made it back on the last flight from Los Angeles after an amazingly successful business trip concerning his Spur Violins range of stringed instruments, and we had to isolate for two weeks in our cute little Clifton Hill apartment. It’s official — I married the right person.
From a professional point of view, I had to learn the skills of Zoom teaching — like Skype — at lightening speed, as none of my students wanted to stop having lessons.
The diary went from full to sporadic, though, and that was the biggest change because I found myself with days where I could do anything I wanted — except leave the apartment, of course — and suddenly all my fantasy projects came to life.
I turned a rare art book by Benjamin Charles Paulsen — may that crazy character rest in peace — into a divine coffee table book, lovingly photographed, ordered, and edited by Melbourne’s multi-genre artist ReVerse Butcher. I turned a stunning painting I found of Paul’s into a limited run of prints. I started the epic journey of editing a book of sheet music of all 40 of my commissioned violin pieces from my show VOLUME with the charismatic composer-arranger Anton Koch. I started the process of compiling a book of my mother’s poetry. I cooked a lot. But the energy I feel now is from doing many different things, and also doing the same things quite differently.
You’ve really filled your time in lockdown! Now, the reason we’re here is because you’re performing as part of the Melbourne Digital Concert Hall’s Aquilina Gala series. What has working towards this specific performance given to you as a performer?
Any chance to play with friends is so important.
The Schubert String Quintet in C Major is really fun. It’s a standard piece, meaning we don’t have to dissect it or ‘learn’ it, but we have to work out a few corners in rehearsals. It all falls into place really easily, especially when we play with friends.
The Melbourne Digital Concert Hall has really been there from the beginning of the pandemic, right through to where things are at now: the very slow and cautious return to small gatherings. As a performer, what does it mean to you to know that an institution such as MDCH was not only created to enable you to continue your career — but has been actively supporting it through every step of the way?
It’s actually a miracle.
The best thing about MDCH, beside the much-needed income, is we can do whatever programs we like. The first show I did on this platform was VOLUME 11, a selection of favourites from my pile of commissioned music played on acoustic, semi-acoustic, and electric violins with two amps and my 16-year-old son’s party speaker for the backing tracks, wearing my Doc Martins. You can’t get much further away from Schubert than that, but it’s all great music.
Beyond the MDCH itself, your concert is supported by arts philanthropist Michael Aquilina. How much do you think about where your income is coming from in a live performance — and has the generosity of this patron made you think about it differently?
Many of us put on our own concerts and understand how much things cost. It’s rare that our ‘projects of love’ pay. They feel like expensive and indulgent hobbies sometimes, but when we get a chance to play for MDCH it evens things right out. We feel valued and respected.
Michael Aquilina is a saint. Michael understands us because he too is a musician, and is always invited to the afterparty as far as I’m concerned.
Let’s talk more about the program. How’d you come to work with your fellow performers?
I can’t lie to you, this will be a very boring answer and I apologise in advance:
Gabby Halloran, viola: ‘Do you want to play Schubert quintet?’
Me: ‘Yeah, great!’
Gabby: ‘I thought I’d ask cellists Miranda Brockman and Michelle Wood.’
Me: ‘Awesome, who’s the other violin?’
Gabby: ‘Kathryn Taylor?’
Me: ‘Great, I’ll make her play first violin.’
That sounds overwhelmingly simple! So how did you choose the music on the program? It’s terrific to see two bassoon works in there! Talk us through the unusual set of three works.
Jack Schiller is the most gorgeous, friendly, sweet, positive person and an inspiration to us all as a musician and a colleague. How could we not play with him?
It was a collaborative task choosing the other pieces and they suit Jack so well, but he’s a star — he could play anything!
There’s been a lot of debate around the way audiences listen to a live stream — that it can’t “match” the quality of a live performance. Where do you sit in this debate? Should listeners simply enjoy the music, as the streaming opportunity empowers you to keep performing? How do you listen to a live stream?
There is no debate because two versions are incomparable, and it’s not the issue. The issue is: how are we going to make both things better? Like, a healthy competition. We have to find ways to use this amazing technology to all of our advantages.
5Stream does an amazing job with streaming these MDCH concerts. Venues are prohibitively expensive for most people to book as individuals or start-up groups, so the online platform is excellent.
Live performances go back to ancient times — just look at our own incredibly inspiring and varied Indigenous cultures, and what they continue to create as a response to existence.
Live performances bring communities together — this will never die. It might change, but people shouldn’t be scared — just go with it!
When I listen to the many online events — poetry and book launches, Facebook Live concerts, DJs, MDCH — I get really excited for my friends, and I feel more emotional about it all than I did before.
At the end of the day, what do you hope to learn as an artist through your new experiences streaming your performances?
I’ve already learned that when you play to an empty hall, talking to cameras and lights, you desperately call upon your imagination and acting abilities. It has inspired me to do more online events like book launches and blogs — stay tuned for a new one called Splitting Hairs and Destroying Bad Narratives with my student Annabel Plahuta!
But overall, the experience has been really fun and distracting in the midst of all this uncertainty.
Do you feel positive about our industry’s post-COVID-19 future?
I feel certain that, whatever happens, we have to adapt and not expect things to go back to normal. And actually, that can be a positive thing in itself. We must always have a back-up plan in life, because we don’t know anything about the future, even when it seems secure.
Watch the third live streamed concert in the Michael Aquilina Gala Series at 7.30pm June 20. Tickets on the Melbourne Digital Concert Hall website.
