Michael Nyman Band

Editorial

How many bands start out life as extras in a theatrical production? The short answer is, not many. Still, that's exactly how the Michael Nyman Band came about. Performing together in a 1976 production of Il Campiello, everyone got along so well they decided to make it an ongoing concern.

33 years later, Michael Nyman and band are still going strong. Nyman may be best known for composing the score to Jane Campion's award-winning 1993 movie, The Piano, but he's had a diverse career across several mediums. Film scores aside, he's also written music for several operas, string quartets, the odd saxophone concerto and more. Revisiting The Piano for just a moment, we should probably point out his score received the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Original Music and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

More recently, he's worked with people like Damon Albarn, spanning a unique pop/classical divide that you just don't see very often. With four decade's worth of material and countless albums and collaborations, Nyman's concert series is hugely anticipated in serious, orchestral circles.
Mikolai, May 2009