Play School to the Sydney Opera House to Canberra: Meet Claire Edwardes, percussion powerhouse

Posted on 15 March, 2023

Percussion takes Claire Edwardes all over Australia, from the set of Play School to the Sydney Opera House. Her next stop: the nation’s capital.

With three Art Music Awards and an OAM to her name, Claire Edwardes is a creative force to be reckoned with, leaping between her role as Artistic Director of Ensemble Offspring, appearances with orchestras across Australasia and Europe, and her own genre-bending solo concerts.

Between gigs, Claire is a passionate advocate for diversity in classical and art music. Her recent ‘Rhythms of Change’ project commissioned seven new works from female-identifying composers.

Now, she’s coming to town. Canberrans can catch Claire in action next week when she joins the Canberra Symphony and conductor Dane Lam at Llewellyn Hall. Audiences will be treated to a rare performance of Dances with devils, a percussion extravaganza by Australian composer Iain Grandage.

We asked Claire to give us the inside scoop on the concert.

What makes Dances with devils unmissable?

Dances with Devils is for anyone who enjoys a spectacle. Percussion is so incredibly varied in terms of the sounds we can create, often simultaneously. Watching a percussionist physically making it all happen against the backdrop of a full orchestra is quite a sight to behold!

Do any unconventional instruments make an appearance?

I play one of my favourite instruments: the waterphone. It looks a bit like a birdcage, but with water in the base and spokes of all different lengths. I play it with a large double bass bow as I walk across the stage, bending the sound. It’s quite spooky!

Describe a day in the life of a professional percussionist.

Hours of practice (and lots of set-up, depending on the instruments!).

Any classical music myths you’d like to bust?

It’s not a myth per se, but it really irks me that so many large music institutions present concerts in pretty much exactly the same way they did back in 1780. I feel we should be allowed a bit more freedom in the concert hall today…it shouldn’t be a shrine to dead white male composers!

The concert hall needs to be a place that reflects our lived experience. A percussion concerto celebrating Australian women is the perfect way to mix things up.

If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would you choose?

I would start with Lola Montez, who was known for her spider dance in the goldfields and who inspired one of the movements of Dances with devils (she sounds like fun!).

I would also invite Julia Gillard and pick her brains about her time at the helm of this country and how we can continue to strive for gender equity in politics, the arts and beyond.

Last but not least, I’d invite Elena Kats-Chernin, an Australian composer (who wrote me a concerto!) with the gift of the gab, who would ensure there were no awkward moments!

What’s the best coffee or brunch you’ve enjoyed in Canberra?

I’m not sure if it’s still considered the hippest cafe in town, but when I go to Canberra I always like to get to The Cupping Room for their yummy coffee with a great atmosphere.

Photography: Nat Cartney