BIOGRAPHY

Brigid is an Australian composer, performance artist, clarinet soloist, visual artist, video artist and educator whose creative practice explores the use of acoustic sound and technology to enable media performances and installations that are rich in aural and visual nuances.

Her work is widely presented in concerts, festivals, and radio broadcasts throughout Australia, Asia, Europe and the USA. Recently she has been a recipient of an Australia Council Project Music Fellowship & new work commissions ‘Coral Bells’ & “Instincts and Episodes’ also Artist in Resident at Marshall University USA with a Edwards Distinguished Professor Artist Residency, Indiana University USA, Melbourne Polytechnic (NMIT) and ADM NTU Singapore. Also recently presented works on the Big screen at Federation Square Melbourne, Tilde Festival, ABC Classic FM. and International Media Festival at the Trafačka Arena in Prague.  She has a PhD in Composition from UTAS and a Master of Music in Composition from the University of Melbourne.

Composer website:  www.brigid.com.au

FEATURED WORKS

Coral Bells Preview, for 42 Federation Hand Bells, Bass clarinet, live electronics and video.
The featured recording is a preview of the 4-movement work Coral Bells.

Coral Bells is a Quartet for the Federation Hand Bells, Bass clarinet/instrumentalist, acousmatic sound and video. The artistic rationale is exploring the diverse overtone, microtone sounds and origins of the Federation Hand Bells and Bass clarinet into the visual with discrete sounds of the ecosystems of coral from Fitzroy Island Northern Australia. This creation brings a new life to the Federation Hand Bells providing deepening connections with the Australian landscape.  Coral Bells is the conversation of between the audio and dead coral from that accentuates the audio visual reflecting both the translucent Federation Bell sounds, Bass clarinet, glass and dead coral.

The acoustic resonators on the Federation Hand Bells will vibrate with the coral and are recreated into visuals of moving glass objects. These sounds are transformed into acousmatic sounds. The choice of colors and texture within the visuals are layered white/grey textures, sepia, hints of pastel colours, burnt reds, yellows and gold images that are layered to create a thick timbral texture to form the video voice. The sounds of subtle high pitched Bells and gritty sand sounds with the Bass clarinet periodically joining the drones with discordant multiphonics and flourishes of notes dominate throughout. Subsequent acoustic and visual motifs capture and emerge sonically/visually creating timbre layers of the interpreted coral and glass reflections.

Featured in Sonic Environment Waves July 2016