Millions of Us Festival Program 2021

for Backstage Music’s ‘Now You Hear Her’ program

@ World Square Retail Centre, George Street, Sydney

Tickets and more info here

Curated by Bree van Reyk in association with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Composing Women Program + Sculthorpe Chair of Australian Music, Liza Lim.

Millions of Us takes place on the unceded lands of the Gadigal people.

*The title ‘Millions of Us’ is derived from a painting by artist Nadine Faraj of the Egyptian feminist activist Aliaa Mahdy, which feminist scholar Mona Eltahawy uses as the backdrop of her zoom meetings. Seen via Eltahawy’s blog www.feministgiant.com

Fri 12th March 7pm > Millions of Us Part I - Breaking Glass > free > register here

Sydney Chamber Opera and Carriageworks present 'Breaking Glass' quadruple bill screening

Quadruple bill from Sydney Conservatorium of Music Composing Women Program 2020 with introductions by the composers:

HER DARK MARAUDER - Music Georgia Scott, Text Pierce Wilcox, Director Danielle Maas

COMMUTE - Music & Text Peggy Polias, Director Clemence Williams

THE TENT - Music & Text Josephine Macken, Director Danielle Maas

THE INVISIBLE BIRD - Music & Text Bree van Reyk, Director Clemence Williams

Sat 13th March 4pm-10pm > Millions of Us Part II - Del Lumanta, Bree van Reyk, Sumn Conduit, Megan Alice Clune > free > register here

4-5pm Listening Club with Megan Alice Clune and Bree van Reyk

5-6:30 pm Del Lumanta live set

7:00pm Sumn Conduit (Sonya Holowell* + Ben Carey) live set

8:30pm Megan Alice Clune* Dream Opera lecture performance

*supported by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music & Sculthorpe Chair of Australian Music


Sun 14th March 4pm-10pm > Millions of Us Part III - Laura Jean, Marcus Whale, Bree van Reyk, Rainbow Chan > free >

register here

4-5pm - Stumble Through the Forest of Abandoned Ideas - Bree van Reyk, Marcus Whale, Rainbow Chan. Open panel discussion leafing through forgotten dreams written in the notebooks of creatives.

5-6:30pm - Laura Jean - ‘Song Dedications’ song-writing workshop/performance lecture

7pm - Rainbow Chan* - Power, Love and Melancholy in the Ballads of Teresa Teng

8:30pm - Richard Fung screening ‘My Mother’s Place’ (1990) hosted by Marcus Whale

*supported by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music & Sculthorpe Chair of Australian Music


Mon 15th March > 3pm-10pm > Millions of Us Part IV - Composing Women Feature > free > register here

3-5pm ‘Talk to a Composer’ workshop with Liza Lim, Ella Macens, May Lyon.

7pm - Brenda  Gifford + Dr Georgia Curran panel discussion on Aboriginal Music

8:30pm - Fiona Hill + Gary Daley electro-acoustic set.


Tues 16th March > 6:45am-11am > Millions of Us Part V - Composing Women Feature > free > register here

6.55am - Sunrise, ‘deep listening’ practice based on Pauline Oliveros’ The Witness (2014) [Liza Lim]

8-9am - Bree van Reyk solo performance.

9-11am - Stumble Through the Forest of Abandoned Ideas Composing Woman Program - open panel panel discussion leafing through forgotten dreams written in the notebooks of composers from Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s Composing Women Program.