Restrung Festival 2008-2021

Danielle Bentley is founder, curator and manager of Restrung

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Restrung Festival: Metro Arts

October 14-16 2021

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The much-loved Restrung Festival returned in 2021 bringing audiences a banquet of boundary-pushing, strings-driven music and art.

The three-day program features a dazzling program of celebrated and emerging local talent, packed with bespoke events, unique collaborations and bold new works.

In addition to genre-bending performances, audiences immersed themselves in installations created by Pat Hoffie, Leah Barclay and more.  It was a musical smorgasbord of the new, the raw and the beautiful.

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See Metro Arts website for information: Restrung at Metro Arts

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Restrung Festival: Brisbane Powerhouse

17-19 August 2017

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Curated by Danielle Bentley, Restrung showcased over 50 artists who blur the lines between classical, electronica, folk, jazz, and artistic disciplines over three days of concerts, free events and string-inspired installation works. Restrung once more provided vital support for Brisbane’s indie classical music ecology through performances, audience development, networking, commissioning and collaboration. New in 2017 was the successful forging of partnerships with other festivals - Darwin Festival and Supersense (Mel), enabling three international acts.

 

Performances included: Oliver Coates (UK), Cleek Shrey (US), Cris Derksen (Canada), Muscle Memory: Reflex by Collusion with Queensland Ballet Academy, Zen Zen Zo & the Viola Cloning Project, Rafael Karlen and Steve Newcomb,  Topology,  Monique Clare, David Bentley with William Barton, The Noise (Syd), The Scrapes and visual artist Pat Hoffie.

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Sponsored by: Australia Council for the Arts, Brisbane City Council, Brisbane Powerhouse, Boyd's - the Piano Shop and Irish Bentley Lawyers.

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Restrung: Sounds Unbound, Brisbane Powerhouse

October 26-28 2012

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A celebration of genre-bending strings-driven music bridging the borders between rock, folk, world music, jazz, contemporary classical and electronica.

 

Restrung premiered two trailblazing productions; Nightingale Floor by Sallie Campbell, and A Transient Beauty (nominated twice by Dance Australia) featuring Collusion Music, choreographer Gareth Belling and four of Queensland's leading dancers: Gareth Belling, Rachael Walsh, Melissa Tattam and Janette Mulligan.

 

Restrung commissioned five women composers to write a series of Miniatures for the festival including: Lisa Cheney, Melody Eötvös, Sally Greenaway, Margery Smith and Samantha Wolf.

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Performances included: Ensemble Offspring (Sydney), Silver Sircus, Trichotomy, Cam Butler and the Shadows of Love (Melbourne), Peter Knight (Melbourne), The Scrapes, Jason Machado, Topology, David Bentley Trio, The String Contingent (Sydney), Taraf Tambal, Gilded (Perth), Clocked Out, and Syzygy (Melbourne).

 

Installations by:  Lawrence English, Nathen Street, Cam Butler and Velvet Pesu.

 

Sponsored by: Australia Council for the Arts, Griffith University, Brisbane Powerhouse, University of New England, Theme & Variations Piano Services, DyMark, Irish Bentley Lawyers.

 

 

Restrung New Chamber Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse

2008 Edition

 

Restrung New Chamber Festival featured 17 local, national and international “New music” and classical ensembles and bands, sound and video art installations, workshops and forums. Performers included the Brodsky Quartet (UK), Fourplay, CODA, Wood and Topology. Danielle commissioned the world's largest playable violin, the Violinarium (by Beh Wattenberg and Joel Stern). Restrung 2008 formed the basis for Danielle’s PhD examining the nature of contemporary string practice and innovative approaches to curating and evaluating the success of new music, cross-genre and cross art form festival models. See the Writer/Researcher page for more information.

 

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Crossbows Small Ensembles Festival, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University

2012 and 2014

Danielle was Manager and Co-curator for both editions of Crossbows

 

For four days in May 2012 and seven days in October 2012, Queensland Conservatorium threw open its doors, joining forces with ABC Queensland, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, QPAC and South Bank Parklands to present over 100 live performances to suit a diverse range of musical tastes.

Highlights included musical comedy act Tripod, Lawrence English, Emma Dean (named an artist to watch by the New York Post), renowned pianist and composer Paul Grabowsky, the China Conservatory Virtuosi, Brazilian act the Jason Machado Trio, Eastern European grooves from Greshka, New Zealand String Quartet, Katie Noonan’s band Elixir, the Southern Cross Soloists, Collusion Music, didgeridoo player William Barton and Clocked Out.

 

Crossbows celebrated small ensemble culture in Queensland. The theme of music from and about Queensland was embodied by the many ensembles -currently resident in Queensland or elsewhere- nurtured by this State, by existing compositions by Queenslanders, Queensland residents, or about Queensland. Artists included an impressive line-up of the best small ensembles from Queensland, ensembles in residence of Queensland Conservatorium, and several small ensembles arising from sections of the QSO. These were juxtaposed with a number of interstate and international guests, which led to a lively exchange of styles, approaches and experiences.

 

 

 

International Music Council’s 5th World Forum on Music (WFM5), Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University

November 21-24 2013

Danielle was the WFM5 Manager.

 

The International Music Council's 5th World Forum on Music (WFM5) took place at Queensland Conservatorium, November 21-24 2013. Over 1,000 music professionals and other enthusiasts from all over the world descended upon the heart of the cultural precinct on Brisbane’s South Bank to discuss, plan, be part of, and experience the future of music on this planet: musicians, producers, managers, administrators, festival directors, journalists, scholars, educators, facilitators, activists, policy makers and other lovers of the art in its myriad forms and contexts.

 

Held biannually, WFM is the International Music Council's (IMC) flagship event - designed to ensure that the IMC's work is presented publicly and has resonance within the greater community. The IMC, founded in 1949 by UNESCO, is the world's largest network of organizations, institutions and individuals working in the field of music. The International Music Council promotes musical diversity, access to culture for all and unites organizations in some 150 countries worldwide in building peace and understanding among peoples of all cultures and heritage. Through its members, IMC has access to over 1000 organisations and 200 million persons eager to develop and share knowledge and experience on diverse aspects of musical life.

 

Notable statistics from WFM5

 

• Over 1,000 music professionals and other enthusiasts from all over the participated

• Over 600 registered for WFM5 and/or one of its 12 satellite conferences.

• Over 400 involved as performers, panelists, chairs, and organisers.

• Over 150 activities including panels, performances, the Music Bazaar, World Music Film Festival, video presentations, Picnic Under the Stars, Orchestral Futures, workshops and masterclasses. In addition, the activities of the 12 satellite partners whose conferences and seminars took place before, during and after WFM5 – e.g. the Musicological Society of Australia, APRA and the International Music Institution Leaders’ Forum

• Development and successful testing of a unique forum model which incorporates numerous local, national and international satellite events and an extensive performance program. This nurtured a rich musical environment enabling networking, discussion and musical appreciation.