Nick Parnell won the 2001 International Melbourne Percussion Competition and is one of Australia’s leading percussionists. His dynamic energy and precision on instruments including vibraphone, marimba, drums, gongs and cymbals, have fascinated and enchanted audiences throughout Australia, Asia and the UK. He has won many awards and prizes for his performances.

A leader of the new generation of performers, the Adelaide-based musician is known for breaking traditional musical boundaries, exploring world music and performing works by Bach and Chopin on percussion. His music sits in and between the genres of classical, jazz and world music.

His Bach to Brazil concerts are full of recognisable audience favourites and take the listener from Bach’s soaring melodies to the infectious rhythms and colour of Brazil.

The centrepiece of this performance is Rosauro’s Brazilian Rhapsody – a 25 minute evocative musical journey through the rainforests and culture of Brazil that traverses a whole landscape from quiet gentleness to full scale rhythmic celebration.

This concert performance features 50 instruments – grand piano, vibraphone, bamboo chimes, djembes, tuned wine glasses and many more.

Interactive Workshop with Nick Parnell

Free of Charge - 11am

Nick Parnell’s interactive percussion workshops consist of demonstrations/performances of a colourful range of musical styles, including Rock, Classical, African and Brazilian. They demonstrate tuned and non-tuned percussion instruments such as the vibraphone, drum kit and djembe drums. The workshops use volunteers throughout, which gives students a fun and interactive experience of the world of percussion!

Suits: Yr 3-12 Duration: 50 minutes