DATE: Saturday 10 May, 2025
TIME: 7pm, bar from 6pm
COST: $45 / $38
Details
About the Artist
Joe Chindamo is a musical polyglot whose art defies classification. While forging an international career as a brilliant jazz pianist – producing 23 CDs, topping the jazz charts in Japan, winning a slew of awards (including being inducted into the Bell Award Hall of Fame in 2016) and touring the world with the genre’s leading figures- he was working as first- call pianist on over 60 film soundtracks and performing & recording with a plethora of leading artists from the worlds of opera, jazz, theatre and pop.
More recently Chindamo has emerged as a coveted new voice in contemporary classical composition, receiving numerous commissions from Australia’s leading soloists, chamber groups and symphony orchestras, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian String Quartet, Camerata and the Melbourne and Queensland Symphony Orchestras.
In 2011 Joe co – founded the innovative duo with violinist Zoë Black. The duo has performed at all the major festivals in Australia and recorded 3 ARIA nominated CDs, (RE-IMAGININGS , DIDO’S LAMENT and their re-versioning of the THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS, premiering the latter at Carnegie Hall in 2015. The duo made their debut Italian performance at the Spinacorona Festival in Naples, at the invitation of renowned pianist, Michele Campanella in 2018.
In 2016 he ventured into the realm of theatre as a composer, collaborating with Steve Vizard to create the highly acclaimed one-woman musical – Vigil – for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, starring Christie Whelan Brown.
Recent highlights include the premiere of his Concerto for Drums and Orchestra (2018), commissioned and performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the premiere of his Concerto for Orchestra (2021) for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and the performance of his work This House (2018) – for string orchestra- for the centenary of Australia House, London (Commissioned by the Australian High Commissioner in London and performed in the presence of HRH Prince Charles in November 2018).
In May 2022 the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra premiered his Ligeia – Concerto for Trombone & Orchestra, written for ASO Principal Colin Prichard and commissioned by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. In the same month, the premiere performance of his Principia Clarinettica – commissioned by the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra – was given by associate principal clarinettist Philip Arkinstall and string quartet.
In 2022 Joe was added to the Queen’s birthday honours list and awarded the medal of the order of Australia for his services to music and the performing arts – OAM
Reviews
“He has more facility on the piano than you could ever wish for, his energy is boundless, he is forever inventive and never settles for the obvious (unless it’s the best). Never ask Joe for an idea unless you are prepared for an avalanche of creativity, every time… The reason Joe Chindamo arrests you when you hear him is his sheer love of what he does, a love that sparkles from every note.” James Morrison
“A virtuoso in the tradition of Peterson, Chindamo demonstrates here that technique isn’t only about speed and accuracy, it’s also to do with touch and expression…. It’s a triumphant display that should appeal to any fan of classic piano jazz.” Adrian Jackson, Rhythms Magazine and The Bulletin, Aust.
Recent commissions
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra 2023
Triangolo di Pensieri, Ensemble Offspring 2023
Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra 2022
Principia Clarinettica, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra 2022
Trio Fantastique, Artaria (Celia Craig) 2022
Concerto for Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra 2021
Meows and Muses, Australian String Quartet 2021
Goldner Variation, Goldner String Quartet 2021
Recent Recordings
String quartet No. 1 “Tempesta”, Australian String Quartet
Meows and Muses; Australian String Quartet
Fantasie auf Nachtmusik, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, ABC Classics (to be released)
Variations on Dido’s Lament, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, ABC Classics (to be released)
Joe Chindamo (OAM). Image courtesy of the artist
Notes
* The Tuggeranong Arts Centre Theatre is raked steeply. People with mobility issues are advised that the top two and bottom two rows are the most easily accessible. Please advise us if you have mobility issues and we can direct you to your seats.
Acknowledgments
Tuggeranong Arts Centre would like to acknowledge our program partners The Jazz Haus Canberra and Artsound FM, and grant funding received through Live Music Australia – an Australian Government initiative.
