Pan People Project

All our hopes centre on the fact that underneath the hectic movement of our civilisation there dwells a marvellous power, which arouses itself mightily only at a certain grand moment then sinks back to dream again of the future.
Friedrich Nietzsche

The vision for the Pan People Project can be seen as four 'circles', each with its own integrity, but easily linking to and supporting each of the other circles.

Pan People will be an audio visual spectacular, a piece of multimedia music theatre which incorporates the virtuosic live music of musicians from the four corners of the globe, with an exciting contemporary outdoor theatrical event... a rich and textured visual story. This performance will premiere in Perth, Western Australia, in 2007.

The musicians include three Bolivians: Carlos Ponce, the best South American pan pipe player in the world today, who specialises in jazz and traditional music; jazz pianist Danilo Rojas and 'new wave' pan piper Felix Rodriguez. From Romania comes Cornel Pana, the world's greatest classical pan pipe virtuoso, with a career performing solo with orchestras the world over; Gheorghe Rizea, the best young pan pipe player in Romania; astounding vocalist Maria Raducanu, and hammered dulcimer virtuoso Stefan Radu. Malawian vocalist Nachi Ligoya will bring her huge African voice and sparkling personality to the stage. The members of the Narasirato Pan Pipers, from the Solomon Islands, will astound with their colourful display of contemporary and traditional pan pipe music.

The Pan People Ensemble, a large pan pipe group comprised mostly of Australian musicians, will be led by Alain Thirion. This group has already commenced preparations with funding support from Kulcha, Western Australia's peak world music organisation. This group will eventually include pan pipe musicians from all over Australia and the world, through a process of learning scored or recorded parts sent through the mail and the internet. If you would like to join this group, to be involved in the Pan People Ensemble, please contact Alain at bellamus@infobahn.com.au

Added to this will be a core of Australia's finest professional musicians, including the highly regarded Tetrafide Percussion, together with the project's musical director, Philip Griffin.

The Pan People Project's designer is Cecile Williams with artistic director Peter Keelan, who brings his back projection watertank drums and mammoth compressed air gun and bass pan pipes to the mix of Greek mythology and contemporary visual theatre. Sound Designer James Hewgill is one of Australia's most respected audio engineers. For the Pan People Project James will design complete surround sound, or three dimensional sound, for the live performance. This is something we believe to be a world first!

The production and technological team is first class, with Sam Cutri, a specialist in electronic sensor technology, MIDI triggered devices, sampled sounds and a host of new performance technologies. Tim Dunn is the digital projections and 'new' technologies specialist; overall production manager Russell Wilson assisted by Dwayne Peppin. Administration is being coordinated by Susan Clark.

involves a tour to Karratha, Broome and Kununurra, in the north of Western Australia. It is envisioned that this will be the same performance as has premiered in Perth.

comprises a music tour of Australia by the core musicians, with the WOMADELAIDE Festival being the focal point. This will include performances in most capital cities, and a selection of major music and arts festivals. This tour may also feature classical virtuoso Cornel Pana in classical music concerts, and jazz virtuoso Carlos Ponce performing in collaboration with Australia's best jazz musicians.

is the inaugural World Festival of Pan Pipe (WFPP), a world-class musical event featuring the world's greatest pan pipe musicians, both traditional and contemporary. It will showcase the two great virtuosos of the instrument, Rumanian classical musician Cornel Pana, and Bolivian jazz player Carlos Ponce, alongside the wonderful traditional cultures of the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Bolivia, Mozambique and Rumania.

This high profile international event will be held over one week, and include spectacular opening and closing events created as part of an International Community Arts project running in tandem with the WFPP.

The WFPP will also include:

performances of the multi media music theatre spectacular, The Pan People
workshops in schools and the wider community
master classes for musicians
involvement of regional communities
artists, musicians and dancers from the Solomon Islands, Mozambique, Malawi, Bolivia, Papua New Guinea, Rumania and Australia
the formation of the world's biggest pan pipe ensemble
a spectacular set designed and built by Dutch artist Antoon Versteegde in collaboration with the Solomon Islands Artists Association
exhibitions of artists and musical instruments and instrument makers
a massed community choir and large scale community dance and movement choreography
a focus on the nurturing and support of youth within all aspects of the project

As a lead up to the 2007 WFPP, we will work together with the Solomon Islands Music Federation to produce a National Pan Pipe Festival in 2006.

yes! there is a fifth circle, and that is the specially designed demountable theatre for the Pan People Project. It is a reflection of the classical amphitheatres from Greek mythology, along with a sense of Australia and a symbol of the future. Constructed from the form of a massive rainwater tank, the theatre supports radical production logistics, including the specially designed surround sound, and will form the physical basis for this unique event.

Like to be involved?

This is a huge project which will rely on support, help and involvement, from a large number of people and organisations. If you read this page and feel that you would like to become involved in this project, please email Peter Keelan or phone 08 9840 9674.