Run by artistic directors Ben Opie & Melissa Doecke, Inventi Ensemble are a collective of dynamic young musicians, dedicated to performing music at the highest level. Their musicians have performed around the globe and achieved numerous recognitions and awards. Their artists have recorded several albums to great acclaim and are dedicated to the development and exposure of Australian music.
For more information on their activities in the community and beyond, you can visit their website.
Formed only at the beginning of this year, Inventi Ensemble have been busy developing a diverse and rich program of events all over Australia.
Dedicated to the development of Australian music, Inventi have commissioned new works, including a work for flute and oboe broadcast on radio by Mark Gaydon “The Arguments of Beatrice & Virgil”, a new work by Luke Styles for small ensemble and a work by a budding 17 year old composer, Nkki Edgar. In addition to this they try to include as many repeat performances of Australian music into their repertoire such as Elena Kats-Chernin, Luke Styles, Mark Isaacs and more.
Inventi Ensemble members have all travelled all over the world, but are enthusiastic about bringing high quality music to as much of Australia as possible. Self-funded tours have taken them to regional Australia with cellist Michael Bardon including Alice Springs, Nuriootpa, the Dandenong Ranges and beyond. Already touring is planned for the north coast of New South Wales and New Zealand.
They have been invited to perform at Ngeringa Arts in South Australia and in the Melbourne Recital Centre’s Spotlight Series in 2015. Here they will perform their commissioned world premiere work by Luke Styles as well as the Australian premiere of Edwin Roxburgh’s Eclissi.
Inventi Ensemble have developed a strong connection in the outer communities of Melbourne and surrounding areas- including an intimate chamber music series “Tea & Classics” that caters to a demographic of audiences that sometimes are unable to get access to this sort of music. They also contributed to the Knox Piano Awards 2014, performing at their gala awards night as well as offering their services in professional development for one of the prizewinners. This winner will get the rare opportunity to work with talented, professional chamber music musicians and perform as part of a recital. They are currently in discussion with the Knox City Council regarding developing a chamber music competition for the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne
As presenters at Melbourne Knowledge Week 2014, Inventi members invited participants to “become a composer” at the Melbourne City Library. This 3-day workshop opened discussions of commissioning new works, collaborating with composers and how to perform new works. This workshop culminated in a performance of a group-sourced composition developed throughout.
Inventi Ensemble also are running weekly interactive music workshops for immigration centre detainees. These workshops utilize the expertise from a diverse range of our musicians.
Wherever members of Inventi Ensemble travel, they take their wealth of knowledge with them, and offer diverse education workshops ranging from preschool “musical story time” performances to whole school assembly presentations chamber music / instrumental master classes in high schools and tertiary institutions.
This year, with the Melbourne Library Services, they presented as part of Melbourne Children’s Week, showcasing their instruments and using music to tell stories around the Melbourne area.
Ben and Melissa have both worked extensively with Melbourne Youth Music as tutors, mentors, sectional conductors, teachers as well as adjudicating the woodwind auditions.
Inventi Ensemble believe everyone has the right to music and we want to continue finding as many platforms as possible to do this! It is through sharing this story and finding support in the right places that makes this possible. It is an exciting time to be working in the arts where anyone can be a patron and truly be part of the creative process, either through financial donations towards commissions or community work or ‘be a composer’, or learn an instrument! Inventi wants everyone to be creative!
