WollCon Jazz Festival

Event Details
The inaugural WollCon Jazz Festival will feature some of the biggest names in Australian Jazz past and present! 

The line-up includes legendary saxophonist Sandy Evans OAM who’ll be playing with Freyja Garbett’s “Music From the Waves” a multi-movement suite combining electro-acoustic sonic palettes to encapsulate and audiate the synthesis between Freyja Garbett’s two great loves; music and surfing. 

With Sandy on saxophones, these ambient, and rhythmically complex compositions empower the band to drastically manipulate the music live on stage. Each performance is fresh and invigorating. 

WollCon Jazz Festival performers include Sandy Evans and Freyja Garbett.

You’ll experience Chris Field’s Afro-Indian Jazz Collective which features an all-star line up including legendary artists Sandy Evans OAMJames Greening (The Catholics, Mara), Lucy Clifford (Jann Rutherford Award) and Indian percussionist Pirashanna Thevarajah (UK).
Chris’s compositions draw on his years of intense study and involvement with the traditions of India, The Caribbean & The Americas. With the “Collective” he furthers his efforts to blend these rich musical traditions into a unique improvising language

Chris Fields

Melbourne bassist Tamara Murphy will also lead her innovative Spirograph Studies ensemble. Cinematic and dream-like, the ensemble uses influences from post-rock, minimalism and neo-classical musical styles to create their live, genre-bending soundtrack.
Their albums have been shortlisted for Music Victoria awards, featured on The Best Jazz on Bandcamp list (October 2021), Album of the Week on ABC Jazz and the single ‘Anteloper’ was one of the Top Tracks on Feature Sounds (PBS Radio).

Spirograph

This exciting new WollCon Festival will showcase the next generation of jazz stars with performances from the prestigious  Sydney Conservatorium of Music Jazz Orchestra under the direction of David Theak.  Since its beginning in the 70’s this band has produced some of the most prominent musicians in Australia.
Additionally, Jazz Workshop Australia and local student groups from Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts, Smith Hill High School and all ensembles from the award winning WollCon Jazz Program, will perform in various rooms and spaces around the WollCon campus at Gleniffer Brae.

PROGRAM

WollCon Student Jazz Ensembles & School Jazz Bands – 11am-4pm

Sydney Conservatorium Jazz Orchestra, Dave Theak director – 12pm (1 show)

Chris Fields Afro Indian Jazz Collective – 12:45 and 1:45 sets
(Generously supported by Benjamin & Dawson Lawyers)

Sydney Conservatorium’s ConVerge – 1:15 (1 show only)

Tamara Murphy Spirograph Studies – 1:30 and 2:30 sets

Freyja Garbett Music from The Waves – 4pm (1 show only)

TICKETS

General – $35
Concession – $30
(Pensioner and concession card holders).
Parent/Family – $25 (Parent/family relation of student performer).
Student/Over 12 – $15 (Uni/high school student or child over 12 years).

( Ticket price allows access to all shows.  Headline shows have limited indoor seating but face outwards to the lawn area.  If you have special considerations and need to ensure a seat indoors for a particular performance, please email WollCon directly at [email protected] )

Jazz Festival

Sue is an accomplished and seasoned manager with a wealth of experience in government administration and community service delivery. With a strong background in strategic planning, organisational development, community engagement, project planning, and building strategic partnerships, Sue has consistently demonstrated her leadership and expertise and brings a wealth of knowledge to the board. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business focusing on Local Government and Creative Industries from the University of Wollongong, reflecting her commitment to public service and innovative leadership. Sue’s extensive career and dedication to community and social service make her a valuable asset, offering both strategic insight and practical experience to drive meaningful impact.

Anne has been a member of the Wollcon Board since 2019. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from UNSW. She is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law and an accredited Mediator and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. She has taught family law and other subjects at Wollongong University.

For a number of years she has been a subscriber to the Australian Chamber Orchestra which regularly performs in Wollongong . She has been passionate about music and in particular music education to children and adults.

Jake has worked in the disability sector for 24 years- 17 of these with Interchange and 7 years as their CEO. Jake is passionate about inclusion and equality for both people with disability and their carers.

He holds an MBA, Bachelor of Commerce, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, as well as completing Diploma’s in Case Management, Community Services Coordination and the AICD Company Directors Course.

Jake is also a committee member on the International Short Breaks Association Board and has been a Director on the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music Board since 2022.

Wayne is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors as well as being a qualified company secretary and accountant with over 35 years experience in banking and finance. He performed for nine of those years as Chief Executive of IMB Ltd, and the preceding seven years as Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, also with IMB. Wayne’s primary expertise is in the areas of governance, management, accounting, risk management and banking and finance. He has spent his whole life living in the Illawarra and is passionate about ensuring the Illawarra can provide the best possible opportunities and lifestyle for its residents. In 2024 Wayne was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the community.

Dr Terumi Narushima is a senior lecturer and Music Discipline Leader at the University of Wollongong. She is a composer, performer and sound designer specialising in microtonal tuning systems. Her works include Tritriadic Chimes, a sound installation for LA MicroFest, Hidden Sidetracks, a composition for custom-made instruments premiered by Ensemble Offspring at Sydney Opera House, and a project to build microtonal flutes using 3D printing. She has worked on theatre collaborations which have been presented nationally and internationally, including Yasukichi Murakami: Through a Distant Lens, Lost in Shanghai, and The Story of Chi. She performs with microtonal ensemble Clocks and Clouds, and her book Microtonality and the Tuning Systems of Erv Wilson is published by Routledge.

Nicky is the CEO of Community Industry Group. She has degrees in Dementia Care, Community & Environment and Marketing, and a Grad Dip in Project Management. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an Honorary Fellow of UOW. In addition to Chairing the WollCon Board, she is Deputy Chair of the Regional Development Australia Illawarra Shoalhaven Board and an Independent Non-Executive Director of Warrigal, a large not-for-profit specialising in the provision of services for older people.

Her corporate governance and strategy experience extends through a 20+ year career on boards in the corporate, government and NFP sectors.