Acknowledgement of Country

Decibel is an Australian new music ensemble that integrates acoustic and electronic instruments in chamber music performance. Founded in 2009, the performers are world-leading interpreters of graphic notations, and pioneer digital score formats for composition and performance.

Their first visit to the UK will feature a two-week tour including concerts of Australian and UK compositions, research seminars, workshopping of student works and recording projects.

21 and 23 November 2022
Michael Tippett Centre, Bath Spa University and The Tung Auditorium, University of Liverpool
Australian Animated Notation program
A selection of compositions commissioned by Decibel, including composers within the ensemble, with assistance of the Australia Council and WA DCA, featuring the Decibel ScorePlayer app (developed by the ensemble, available on the Apple App store).

26 November 2022
St Paul’s Hall, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Huddersfield, UK
Cat Hope Monograph
A selection of works by Victorian composer Cat Hope, featuring the Decibel ScorePlayer app, and release ‘Cat Hope: Decibel’ (Ezz-Thetics Switzerland, CD, 2022)

29 November 2022
The Performance Space, City University of London
2 Minutes from Home
21 x 2 minute compositional minutures for the Decibel ScorePlayer app, presented on screen as films. Commissions supported by the Australia Council

30 November 2022
Café Oto, London
Lionel Marchetti ‘Inland Lake’
A major 40 minute composition performed by Decibel by this French composer, released on Australian label Room 40 2022.

2 December 2022
Tunnel Shaft, Brunnel Museum, London
Never at Sea
Collaboration with Australian conductor Kelly Lovelady and the Ruthless Jabiru Orchestra. Features world premiere of a new work by Cat Hope, as well as work by Lindsay Vickery (WA), Pedro Alvarez (WA) and a work conducted by Indigenous artist/Decibel member Aaron Wyatt (VIC).

About the Ensemble

While rooted in western art music tradition, Decibel aims to remove stylistic boundaries in its commissioning and performance approaches, opening opportunities to a broader range of contributors. The ensemble has collaborated with composers including Eliane Radigue, Carol Robertson, Werner Dafeldecker, Agostino Di Scipio, Alvin Curran, David Toop, Marina Rosenfeld and Lionel Marchetti, as well as iconic Australian composers. Decibel has toured and recorded monograph concerts dedicated to Roger Smalley, Alvin Lucier, Giacinto Scelsi and John Cage, whose eight ‘Variations’ were compiled into a single performance and digital score reader application.

Awarded the APRA|AMC Award for Excellence in Experimental Music in 2014 and 2011, Decibel has released recordings on labels such as Pogus (US), Hat Hat (Switzerland), and Room 40, Tall Poppies, Listen|Hear, Heartless Robot  and HellosQuared (Australia).