Colin Piper
Colin Piper's percussion colours chamber and orchestral scores with bite and space: Westlake's bright rhythmic drive, Lentz's star-cluster hush on cymbals, prepared-piano grit beside Synergy, and a conductor's hand when a full orchestra needs shaping.
On Westlake chamber works he locks percussion to bass clarinet and mixed forces in dancing, elated patterns that stay fresh and listener-friendly. With Synergy and Dave Samuels he supplies prepared piano across Australian scores by Edwards and Sculthorpe, Cage's First Construction, and Samuels's own reconstructions. As percussionist on Georges Lentz's Caeli enarrant IV he sets four cymbals against string quartet, tracing galaxies and nebulae in long suspended gestures; the companion prepared-piano piece asks the same patience with resonance and silence. He also leads the Sydney Symphony through Sandra France's Heritage Overture, its driving ostinati, dramatic percussion and folk-tune colour needing clean orchestral edge.
Colin Piper appears on
Classical Allusion
Julian Yu takes famous pieces from the Western musical tradition and ornaments them in the manner of Chinese folk music.