Sunny Kim's Ensemble Ochaye – Water Song

Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre and Asia TOPA, Arts Centre Melbourne

Sunny Kim's Ensemble Ochaye

Details

Lose yourself in this sonically immersive performance inspired by our most precious resource — water.

Water Song is a powerful, cross-cultural collaboration led by acclaimed South Korean vocalist Sunny Kim and composed by Ensemble Ochaye. Drawing its name from the intricate rhythmic patterns of traditional Korean ceremonial music, Ochaye symbolises diversity in all its richness.

Featuring some of Australia’s most exciting musicians, Water Song transcends cultural boundaries through bold reimaginings of musical traditions. Moving between sonic sensuality and personal mythology, this performance interweaves multicultural stories, portraying water as a symbol of connection and renewal.

Blending Korean, Chinese, Iranian, and western instruments including the guzheng, kamancheh, qeychak, clarinet, and cello, Water Song invites listeners to experience an immersive sonic journey, offering a mesmerising exploration of music’s ability to unite and inspire.

Asia TOPA is a joint initiative of the Sidney Myer Fund and Arts Centre Melbourne and the Sidney Myer Fund, is supported by the Australian and Victorian Governments through Creative Victoria, Playking Foundation and the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

Supported by UKARIA Cultural Centre. Commissioned by Perth Festival, Adelaide Festival, Asia TOPA, Arts Centre Melbourne, and Melbourne Recital Centre.

Praise for Sunny

‘Sunny Kim’s voice sings, murmurs, cajoles, and whispers with intelligence, clarity, and beauty.’ – Jazzreview.com

Caring for Our Community

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Artists

Sunny Kim lead artist, vocals
Aviva Endean clarinet
Galareh Pour kamancheh, qeychak, vocals
Mindy Meng Wang guzheng
Zoë Barry cello

About the Artists

Sunny Kim
Sunny Kim is a South Korean-born vocalist, improviser, composer, and educator based in Australia. Drawing from her life journey as a global nomad, her artistic practice seeks to find meaningful connections to people and places through self-discovery, deep listening, and collaboration.

A two-time winner of Jazz People Magazine’s Readers Poll Awards (2012-13), and recipient of the APRA AMCOS Art Music Award (2023), Sunny has released six albums, four of which have been nominated for the Korean Music Awards. Sunny received grants and commissions to create intercultural and interdisciplinary works, including from Creative Victoria (2022), Finding Our Voice (2021), and Korea Arts Council (2011, 2012).

Aviva Endean
Aviva Endean is a clarinettist, composer, improviser, curator, sound artist, performance-maker, and collaborator. Aviva was the inaugural recipient of the Australian Art Orchestra’s ‘Pathfinder’ Music Leadership program, which offered her a one-year Associate Artist position with the company. Her other positions have included teaching at Monash University, working as an ‘Emerging Artist in Residence’ with both Chamber Made and ASTRA Chamber Music Society, and Associate Artist for the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Canada). Aviva is the recipient of numerous Awards including the prestigious Freedman Music Fellowship (2015).

Gelareh Pour
Iranian-born, Persian Kamancheh and Qeychak player, singer and composer Gelareh Pour, received her BA at the Art University of Tehran’s conservatorium and her Masters of Ethnomusicology at The University of Melbourne. Gelareh has performed in Iran, Tajikistan, throughout Europe and is now based in Melbourne, Australia. Since arriving in Australia, she has collaborated with some of the country’s most innovative experimental musicians.

Mindy Meng Wang
Mindy Meng Wang is a Chinese/Australian composer and leading contemporary guzheng artist. She is a pioneer in bringing the guzheng (ancient Chinese harp) into many Western genres including experimental, jazz, western classical, electronic, pop and improvisation.

Mindy collaborated with many high-profile artists like Gorillaz, Regurgitator, Tim Shiel, Paul Grabowsky and Deborah Cheetham, Australian Art Orcestra, Orchestra Victoria, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In 2021 she won Best Musician, Music Victoria Awards and was included in 40 Under 40: Most Influential Asian-Australian Awards. Mindy was the 2022/23 Artist in Residence at Melbourne Recital Centre–the first musician to play a non-western instrument.

Mindy’s long-term vision is to create a strong voice for female composers and artists of Asian heritage and to create a deeper reciprocal musical connection between Australia and Asia.

Zoë Barry
Zoë Barry is an artist known for her work as a composer, cellist, sound artist, performance maker, and educator. Her creative ventures span various mediums, including installations, galleries, film, immersive theatre, digital space, and chamber music. Zoë’s artistic vision explores liminal spaces, atmospherics, intuition, and amplification of quiet voices.

With a background in ethnomusicology and cello performance from the University of Adelaide, Zoë’s journey evolved from performing to composing for theatre. As a cellist, she has performed worldwide and is a member of the boundary-pushing group, The Letter String Quartet. Zoë’s dedication to creativity, collaboration, and education underscores her commitment to fostering diverse voices in the arts.

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