Rubiks Collective

Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Rubiks Collective

‘Incredibly personal, strangely spiritual and ultimately deeply touching.’ – Limelight

What if one idea changed everything?

Journey through the sound of inspiration striking as Melbourne’s Rubiks Collective celebrates its 10th anniversary with a world premiere of The Big Idea – a genre-defying monodrama from Australian composer Matthew Shlomowitz and writer Vid Simoniti.

At the heart of the piece is a single character on the brink – a new idea blossoms, a life unravels, and we witness the tantalising chaos in between. Featuring celebrated vocalist and long-time Rubiks collaborator vocalist Lotte Betts-Dean, The Big Idea is a story of ambition and artistic obsession that spirals from bluest desperation into delightful absurdity.

Melbourne's cult-favourites Rubiks Collective have established themselves as fearless innovators in Australia's contemporary classical landscape. Hailed for creating experiences that are ‘incredibly personal, strangely spiritual and ultimately deeply touching’ (Limelight), they continue to push boundaries with this production.

Combining spoken word, music, and theatrical elements, The Big Idea is an iconoclastic departure from monodramas like Schoenberg’s Expectation and Poulenc’s The Human Voice.

Listen in as the ensemble shapeshifts from samba to Scandinavian jazz, from late Romanticism to old-school Broadway—creating a sonic world as unpredictable as the human psyche itself.

This performance is generously supported by the Robert Salzer Foundation.

Dates & Times

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Duration: 1 hour (no interval). Please note, running times are approximate and subject to change.

Tickets

Standard $37

Concession $30

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Artists

Kaylie Melville percussion
Tamara Kohler flutes
Lotte Betts-Dean vocals
Gemma Kneale cello
Alex Raineri keyboards

Program

Matthew Shlomowitz & Vid Simoniti
The Big Idea

About Rubiks Collective

Rubiks Collective is one of Melbourne's most exciting art music ensembles, directed by Tamara Kohler (flutes) and Kaylie Melville (percussion). Since debuting in 2015, Rubiks has been hailed as 'a formidable contribution to Australia's growing community of contemporary music makers' (Partial Durations). Rubiks reimagines classical music for the modern era by showcasing bold cross-art collaborations, sharing untold stories and championing gender equity in the arts.

Rubiks' international appearances have included performances in Germany, England, the Netherlands and at the closing events for the 2018-19 Australia Festival in India. National appearances include the Metropolis New Music Festival (Melbourne), City Recital Hall's Extended Play Festival (Sydney), Canberra International Music Festival and the post-genre concert series Dots+Loops (Brisbane).

In 2021, Rubiks was awarded Melbourne Recital Centre's inaugural Percy Grainger Award for its commitment to the commissioning and performance of Australian new music.