She made her name in a rock band, but Katie Noonan’s first love was classical music. She and brother Tyrone led the band George and their first album, Polyserena, reached No.1 on the Australian charts in March 2002.
Since George, the siblings have worked together and charted successful solo careers. Katie Noonan is a hard-working artist who tours regularly and collaborates widely. Her passion project is the Australian Vocal Ensemble (AVÉ), which is touring nationally with concerts in Brisbane and Eudlo later this week.
Upcoming concert AVÉ – The Long Moment features, among other things (including a bit of Bach), newly commissioned vocal works inspired by the writings of Tim Winton.
Brisbane audiences will experience the program in an intimate concert setting that places contemporary Australian voices at its centre, alongside a special collaboration with students from the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. Following a week of workshops with the ensemble, students will join AVÉ in performance, sharing selected works developed together.
The group is led by soprano Katie Noonan and includes mezzo-soprano Hannah Fraser, tenor Louis Hurley and bass-baritone Andrew O’Connor.
“The dream started in 2020,” Noonan says. “Our first concert was in April 2021, and it was miraculous that we could do it considering the pandemic. I almost ended up calling us the anti-viral ensemble.”
AVÉ does sound a bit better, though, she agrees. Since her trio Elixir, Noonan has featured works by Australian writers set to music including song cycles inspired by David Malouf and Gwen Harwood.
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Drawing on Winton’s unmistakable language, the music reflects themes of memory and the Australian landscape
The program for AVÉ – The Long Moment features new works by Australian composers, including Emma Jayakumar, Ruben Davies, Lachlan Skipworth, Aaron Wyatt, Andrew O’Connor and Katie Noonan.
Drawing on Winton’s unmistakable language, the music reflects themes of memory and the Australian landscape, alongside arrangements that acknowledge the traditions of vocal polyphony.
In the days leading up to the Brisbane performance, AVÉ will also collaborate with emerging composers through its development program, creating new works set to unpublished texts by Trent Dalton.
Selected works developed through the program will be featured within the concert, with further performances of these composers’ works to be announced later this year. AVÉ is one of the few Australian ensembles presenting emerging composers’ work within mainstage and touring performances nationally, ensuring new music is heard beyond its initial development.
AVÉ’s work centres on the creation and ongoing life of new Australian vocal music. Since its formation, the ensemble has commissioned and premiered more than 60 new works, building a growing body of repertoire that is developed, recorded and shared with audiences across Australia.
They create an innovative sound world by acknowledging the origins of acapella chamber music while singing and championing 21st-century Australian vocal works and composers.
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AVÉ has undertaken cross-art form collaborations with dance and film and actively engages with communities through workshops. For Noonan it is inspiring and healing.
“Music has a way of reaching us in the moments we need it most, ” she says. “It can comfort, connect and restore. There’s something deeply special about gathering together, sharing stories and sound, and spending time with music created by Australian artists.”
Music is a healing balm for her right now as she deals with the aftermath of a marriage break-up. She and Isaac Hurren, married for two decades, played together in Elixir and her new album, Alone but all one, her 30th due out in June, explores the experience.
“It’s an exploration of me grieving the end of my marriage and processing that grief,” she says. “That’s how I process my stuff.”
Working with Trent Dalton, who writes candidly and often about love, has helped, she says.
“It’s just lovely that alongside grieving there are these words about the birth and joy of love.”
Noonan has already released two singles from the album, This isn’t what I signed up for and When the heart falls apart. Her new album will be launched at The Old Museum in Bowen Hills on July 10 and she will perform at the launch with a string quartet.
But with AVÉ there are no musical instruments, just beautiful voices and 80 minutes of that.
“It’ll be all killer, no filler,” she says. “It’s a very intense focus for us as singers but very pleasurable to sing alongside other singers. I will be lifted up by the beautiful artistry around me.”
AVÉ – The Long Moment, Ian Hanger Recital Hall, Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University, April 18, 7pm and Eudlo Hall, Eudlo, April 19 at 3.30pm.
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