Gareth Koch Releases Single ‘Satie’

"Gareth Koch Releases Single ‘Satie’"

 The Gnossienne No. 1 by Satie (originally for piano) has a ghostly and ethereal quality, with the melody floating above a hypnotic chordal texture. The rhythm is almost dance-like, yet there are no bar lines in the score. The resultant swaying effect almost feels like an exotic waltz. The overall effect of the music is surreal & mysterious.

 Satie is often credited as the pioneer of ambient music, a genre which allows the listener space for contemplation & reflection.  Gareth’s transcription for classical guitar lends an intimate quality to the piece while adding a unique and plaintive soulfulness.

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About Gareth

Gareth Koch is an ARIA Award winning multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, guitar soloist, composer & songwriter.  He has recorded a sizeable repertory across multiple genres spanning works for classical guitar, flamenco, original compositions, arrangements, medieval projects, rock & songwriting. He has appeared at major festivals within Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.

Gareth is involved with many cross genre projects & has released a succession of collaborative albums with Martin Kennedy & with ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Kilbey (The Church). His recent release ‘The Guitar Player’ received a coveted 5 star review from The Sydney Morning Herald. Gareth’s current output has a strong rock bias with classical overtones & his writing is increasingly focussed on the ethereal nature of music.

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Gareth Koch Releases New Single ‘Song For Stevie Nicks’

"Gareth Koch Releases New Single ‘Song For Stevie Nicks’"

Song for Stevie Nicks draws inspiration from the Rumours album by Fleetwood Mac, a band in which Stevie is a member and songwriter. Gareth’s guitar work on the track is reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsay Buckingham’s style, while the song itself is cast in the gentle yet intense mood of the ballad Landslide.

Gareth’s signature style pervades the song, with subtly nuanced playing & classical influences on display. Song for Stevie Nicks is imagined & created as a song which Stevie herself might have written.

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About Gareth

Gareth Koch is an ARIA Award winning multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, guitar soloist, composer & songwriter. He has recorded a sizeable repertory across multiple genres spanning works for classical guitar, flamenco, original compositions, arrangements, medieval projects, rock & songwriting. He has appeared at major festivals within Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.

Born in Milan, Gareth began his musical studies on piano and clarinet, and at age 12 was accepted into the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He received his Bachelor of Music degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before winning scholarships for advanced guitar study at The Royal Madrid Conservatorium & the Vienna Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in Music & has lectured in music across Australian & European universities.

 In 2002 Gareth formed the first guitar supergroup with Karin Schaupp & The Grigoryan Brothers, Slava & Leonard. Saffire – The Australian Guitar Quartet soared to #1 on the Classical Music Charts and even featured on ARIA  pop charts. The quartet released a total of 3 best-selling albums & was Australia’s biggest selling classical act for several years.

Gareth is involved with many cross genre projects & has released a succession of collaborative albums with Martin Kennedy & with ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Kilbey (The Church). His recent release ‘The Guitar Player’ received a coveted 5 star review from The Sydney Morning Herald. Gareth’s current output has a strong rock bias with classical overtones & his writing is increasingly focussed on the ethereal nature of music.

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Silphie Releases New Single ‘Mea Lux’

"Silphie Releases New Single ‘Mea Lux’"

After separation and misunderstandings Sulpicia and her secret lover reunite. As she reflects on the reunion Sulpicia regrets that she was on her guard. “My love, my light” if she could go back in time she would stay the night. Mea lux is the penultimate poem in the Garland series written by Sulpicia and sets up the story of the final poem “Tandem venit amor” (At last love has come) where Sulpicia and her lover Cerinthius finally come together.

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Michaele Archer is an Australian classically trained singer and composer and has performed nationally and internationally in Opera, Oratorio and concert. Michaele loves collaboration and unusual projects and highlights have included performances of “Brackish Songs” by indigenous composer Christopher Sainsbury and the first live performances of Schubert’s “Erlking” with a sand animation by Californian creator Benny Zelkowicz. Her original recording project “Galatea” was released in 2019.

Silphie is a collaboration with Michaele Archer (composer/vocal and harmonium), Rachel Whealy (cello), Giuseppe Zangari (guitar) and Gab Steele (viola). The name Silphie comes from the ancient world’s herb Silphium which was used for everything from perfume and cooking to medicine. The latest recording project by Silphie, “Garland, the love poems of Sulpicia” is inspired by rich, raw sounds of analogue, alto instruments and ancient Latin poetry.

Sulpicia is a female voice that was lost for many years and her 6 love poems form the text for this project. Sulpicia lived around the time of Augustus in the first century BCE and her work is one of very few written by a Roman woman to survive. Her poems were published in a collection by the Roman male poet Tibullus and were originally attributed to him. Sulpicia’s Garland of poems tells the story of a secret love affair.

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Fiona Joy Hawkins & Rebecca Daniel Release Album ‘Enchantment’

"Fiona Joy Hawkins & Rebecca Daniel Release Album ‘Enchantment’"

The album release of their latest opus ‘Enchantment’  on July 26th
Classical Pianist Fiona Joy Hawkins and violinist Rebecca Daniel 

Enchantment, the latest project from pianist Fiona Joy Hawkins and violinist Rebecca Daniel, follows in the musical footsteps of their previous collaborations. This time the duo pays homage to the great impressionist painters and composers. Throughout the album. works and track titles reference great artists like Satie, Monet, and Van Gogh. The music is impressionistic, beautiful and relaxing as if Debussy’s ghost was in the room.

Click here for the Full One Sheet Here for all the new details

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Midnight Sky

Mountains Ablaze

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Fiona Joy Hawkins & Rebecca Daniel Release New Videos

"Fiona Joy Hawkins & Rebecca Daniel Release New Videos"

So far, ‘Mountains Ablaze’, an EP of 4 songs and two music videos have been released leading up to the album release on July 26th.

Enchantment, the latest project from pianist Fiona Joy Hawkins and violinist Rebecca Daniel, follows in the musical footsteps of their previous collaborations. This time the duo pays homage to the great impressionist painters and composers. Throughout the album. works and track titles reference great artists like Satie, Monet, and Van Gogh. The music is impressionistic, beautiful and relaxing as if Debussy’s ghost was in the room.


See the Full One Sheet Here for all the new details
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Gareth Koch Releases Album ‘French Medieval Journey’

"Gareth Koch Releases Album ‘French Medieval Journey’"

A new style of song, whose themes were love and myth, rose to prominence in 11th-century Europe. The songs of the French Trouveres in particular dominated medieval music in Europe. These songs were performed by roaming scholars and footloose clerics who thronged the roads of the Middle Ages.

In French Medieval Journey, Gareth’s aim has been to create a new body of music for guitar, based on music from the 12th and 13th centuries. One of the recurring themes in French Medieval music is the recounting of myths and legends.

In setting this music for guitar the French trouvere melodies are used as a point of departure. The compositions however are completely original, yet retain the flavour and ambience of French medieval music. Gareth: ‘I have sought to reanimate some of the myths and legends in musical terms, leaving the imagery and symbolism to the discretion of the listener. Through the medium of music the listener is invited into a medieval dreamscape or otherworld.’

About Gareth Koch
Gareth Koch is an ARIA Award winning multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, guitar soloist, composer & songwriter. He has recorded a sizeable repertory across multiple genres spanning works for classical guitar, flamenco, original compositions, arrangements, medieval projects, rock & songwriting. He has appeared at major festivals within Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.

Born in Milan, Gareth began his musical studies on piano and clarinet, and at age 12 was accepted into the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He received his Bachelor of Music degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before winning  scholarships for advanced guitar study at The Royal Madrid Conservatorium & the Vienna Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in Music & has lectured in music across Australian & European universities.

In 2002 Gareth formed the first guitar supergroup with Karin Schaupp & The Grigoryan Brothers, Slava & Leonard. Saffire – The Australian Guitar Quartet soared to #1 on the Classical Music Charts and even featured on ARIA  pop charts. The quartet released a total of 3 best-selling albums & was Australia’s biggest selling classical act for several years.

Gareth is involved with many cross genre projects & has released a succession of collaborative albums with Martin Kennedy & with ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Kilbey (The Church). His recent release ‘The Guitar Player’ received a coveted 5 star review from The Sydney Morning Herald. Gareth’s current output has a strong rock bias with classical overtones & his writing is increasingly focussed on the ethereal nature of music.

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Gareth Koch Releases Album ‘Carmina Burana’

"Gareth Koch Releases Album ‘Carmina Burana’"

Remastered and Released to streaming for the first time in 2024 here is one of Gareth Koch’s Master Works.

My first encounter with the Carmina Burana was as a young chorister in a performance given in 1983 at the Sydney Opera House. The choir and orchestra were directed by one of my teachers, the late and great Richard Gill. The excitement of that musical experience made a lasting impression on my musical consciousness.

During the European summer of 1995 in Vienna I began a draft version of the Carmina Burana for Solo Guitar. Transcribing the medieval & folk-inspired movements came first, then the challenge of the mighty opening chorus O Fortuna. In an attempt to interest record companies in the project I recorded a ‘demo’ version of O Furtuna, in a single take, in a Viennese cellar!

My publishers and several record companies showed great interest in my interpretation of Orff’s work and very quickly plans started to come together to record in a venue in Vienna. Unfortunately, these plans fell apart due to some pre-existing contract obligations. An opportunity arose to record the work in Australia, and this prompted my return.

The recording of Carmina Burana for Solo Guitar was completed in 1997 over three consecutive nights in Newcastle’s Christ Church Cathedral. The natural resonance & ambience of the cathedral compliment the recording. There are no added effects to this recording which is completely natural & live sounding.

Recording the Carmina Burana was both a physical and mental achievement that has become one of the highlights of my career. The opportunity to re-master the recording and release it digitally brings back to mind the exhilaration of that performance in that venue, over those three nights – still deeply embedded in my memory. It is the synthesis of a lifelong interest in medieval music and the desire to create an exciting and unique live performance piece for guitar.

About Gareth Koch
Gareth Koch is an ARIA Award winning multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, guitar soloist, composer & songwriter. He has recorded a sizeable repertory across multiple genres spanning works for classical guitar, flamenco, original compositions, arrangements, medieval projects, rock & songwriting. He has appeared at major festivals within Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.

Born in Milan, Gareth began his musical studies on piano and clarinet, and at age 12 was accepted into the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He received his Bachelor of Music degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before winning  scholarships for advanced guitar study at The Royal Madrid Conservatorium & the Vienna Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in Music & has lectured in music across Australian & European universities.

In 2002 Gareth formed the first guitar supergroup with Karin Schaupp & The Grigoryan Brothers, Slava & Leonard. Saffire – The Australian Guitar Quartet soared to #1 on the Classical Music Charts and even featured on ARIA  pop charts. The quartet released a total of 3 best-selling albums & was Australia’s biggest selling classical act for several years.

Gareth is involved with many cross genre projects & has released a succession of collaborative albums with Martin Kennedy & with ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Kilbey (The Church). His recent release ‘The Guitar Player’ received a coveted 5 star review from The Sydney Morning Herald. Gareth’s current output has a strong rock bias with classical overtones & his writing is increasingly focussed on the ethereal nature of music.

Stream / download here

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Gareth Koch Releases Single ‘Rumba Flamenca Arabe’

"Gareth Koch Releases Single ‘Rumba Flamenca Arabe’"

The rumba is an upbeat & rhythmically syncopated flamenco style, ideal for dancing & festivities. It is an incredibly flexible genre, able to assimilate a multitude of influences such as Latin, Arabic or pop-contemporary. The rumba is arguably the most recognisable & widely listened to of all flamenco music. It’s lively tempo & irresistible groove, make it hugely popular around the world.

Gareth Koch is an ARIA Award winning multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, guitar soloist, composer & songwriter. He has recorded a sizeable repertory across multiple genres spanning works for classical guitar, flamenco, original compositions, arrangements, medieval projects, rock & songwriting. He has appeared at major festivals within Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.

Born in Milan, Gareth began his musical studies on piano and clarinet, and at age 12 was accepted into the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He received his Bachelor of Music degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before winning scholarships for advanced guitar study at The Royal Madrid Conservatorium & the Vienna Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in Music & has lectured in music across Australian & European universities.

In 2002 Gareth formed the first guitar supergroup with Karin Schaupp & The Grigoryan Brothers, Slava & Leonard. Saffire – The Australian Guitar Quartet soared to #1 on the Classical Music Charts and even featured on ARIA pop charts. The quartet released a total of 3 best-selling albums & was Australia’s biggest selling classical act for several years.

Gareth is involved with many cross genre projects & has released a succession of collaborative albums with Martin Kennedy & with ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Kilbey (The Church). His recent release ‘The Guitar Player’ received a coveted 5 star review from The Sydney Morning Herald. Gareth’s current output has a strong rock bias with classical overtones & his writing is increasingly focussed on the ethereal nature of music.

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Silphie Releases Single ‘Sulpicia’s Birthday’

"Silphie Releases Single ‘Sulpicia’s Birthday’"

Featuring Silphie’s sublime highly trained vocals, a Harmonium, cello, viola and nylon string classical guitar, the debut release for this neo classical/world music act from the NSW Central Coast is sure to have ears lighting up. The quality of the recording, the players, the juxtaposition of the vocals switching from Latin to English and the overall sound of this track will put you in a medieval soundscape that could be part of a beautiful old film shot on 70mm.

Sulpicia was a female poet who lived in Rome in 40BC. Sulpicia’s Birthday is the second in a series of six poems. The story describes her ecstasy, as Sulpicia writes to her lover to tell him she has arranged for the two of them to spend her birthday together, frolicking in Rome.

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Lisa Haymes photography.

Michaele Archer graduated (with distinction) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Opera School and has performed nationally and internationally. She also attained a Masters in Applied Science, researching breathing techniques for opera singers from the University of Sydney.

Her research in breathing techniques was presented in Paris at the International Congress of Voice Teachers. Recently Michaele has been performing and studying in Los Angeles and Switzerland with vocal expert Robin de Haas and has been certified as an Advanced Breathing Coordination practitioner.

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Lisa Haymes photography.

Michaele’s love of ancient instruments and language led her to the work of Sulpicia, a female poet who lived in Rome in the time of Augustus. ‘Garland, the love poems of Sulpicia’ is her latest recording project.

Sulpicia’s poems were included in a publication of the famous roman writer Tibullus and originally attributed to him. The mystery around Sulpicia as a young woman breaking taboos, writing of a secret love affair and the rich sound of the Latin text drew Michaele deep into the project. The poems form the text for the album. Written for harmonium, guitar, cello, viola and vocals, Michaele’s recordings embrace a tone palate that is analogue, raw and dark.

Silphie is a collaboration with Michaele Archer (vocal and harmonium), Rachel Whealy (cello), Giuseppe Zangari (guitar), and Gab Stelle (viola). The name Silphie is inspired by the ancient world’s herb Silphium which was used for everything from perfume and cooking to medicine.

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Video premiere

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