ABOUT

"In the sea of choices a listener has when it comes to contemporary art music, it is very easy to become extremely open minded and over-accepting towards various philosophies in the "music-making" process.

 

In the ever-evolving (and devolving) contemporary society, the paradox for an "educated" listener is that strong opinions and beliefs are less and less appreciated and accepted by the post-modern public and art-bureaocracy.

 

Nevertheless, one can still talk about various "schools", directions, groups etc when describing a new composition.

 

And then, throughout the post-renaissance music history, there were those who one cannot "place" anywhere - those who perished way too early leaving a limited amount of incredible music (Pergolesi, Arriaga), those who flourished and reached their maturity well into their twilight years (Janaček), those ignored, banished by their peers and the establishment (Roslawets), etc.

 

More than one's teacher(s), the socio-geographical and cultural surroundings and how one reacts to them can shape a truly different mind.

 

 A man born in Melbourne, Australia who grew up listening to rock music as much as Beethoven and Mozart and who develops not only a total technical mastery of the art of music making but a unique voice that sounds nothing like that of his peers - is an anomaly.

 

Lee Bradshaw's creations are difficult to classify, even more difficult to explain: what, at a first listen, might sound archaic is totally the opposite upon closer inspection; the high chromaticism that ventures into atonality and then into "nothing" one cannot really find elsewhere; one who hears his music is not interested in anything outside of it - it is abstract in the true sense of the word."

 

- Ivan Vukčević

Violist

 

Ivan Vukčević is the viola solo at Radio Svizzera Italiana and Quartetto Energie Nove, and professor of viola at the International Menuhin Music Academy. He has appeared in concert as soloist throughout the world, and is the Artistic Director of the Mediterranean Notes Festival.