Arts in the City / Cool, digital Monteverdi

MONTEVERDI’S opera “L’Orfeo” (Orpheus) will never be the same after the ANU School of Music stages it soon in with a cool, interactive digital set designed by Andrew Quinn, who has worked on “The Matrix.”.

The opera’s conductor, Peter Tregear, has also lured in as partners the School of Art and the Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, with Nobel Laureate Brian Schmidt hovering in the wings, too.

Direction is by Cate Clelland, lighting design by Alessandro Chiodo, with British tenor Nicholas Mulroy in the title role and Paul McMahon as Apollo. At Llewellyn Hall, 7.30pm, August 21 and 22, bookings to ticketek.com.au or 132849.

IT’S good to hear that national finalists at the 2014 Art Music Awards, to be held in Melbourne on August 26, include The Street Theatre for its nine-day mid-winter jazz festival “Capital Jazz Project” and also composer Sandra France for “From a Black Sky”, her bushfire opera. Fingers crossed.

THE next concert in the High Court’s popular free Sunday series will be Canberra City Band, conducted by Geoff Grey, performing “Strike up the Band” at 1pm, Sunday, August 17. The band recently won the Open A-Grade Band section of the Australian National Eisteddfod for the sixth year in a row, so get there early.

HUNDREDS of potters across Australia will be opening their studios to the public on August 16 and 17, ceramic artist Sarit Cohen tells us. She will show works both old and new from 10am to 4pm on those dates at the house on the corner of Catchpole and Fulton Streets, Macquarie. Enter at the blue fence. All welcome.

QUEANBEYAN City Council has announced the inaugural Clearwater Sculpture Prize and exhibition, to be held over three days during the inaugural Queanbeyan River Festival in October. There will be a major award of $3000, and a $1000 “Re-Use” award. Artists should be inspired by the river. Applications to qcc.nsw.gov.au or inquiries to culturalservices@qcc.nsw.gov.au

AN exciting program by young guitarist Callum Henshaw is coming up at Wesley Music Centre from 12.40pm to 1.20pm on Wednesday, August 20. He’ll play “From Kakadu”, by Peter Sculthorpe, BWV 1003 by JS Bach and Vicente Asencio’s “Collectici intim”. Entry $5 minimum, concession $2, No bookings required.

PRIZEWINNING Canberra science-theatre ensemble Boho Interactive hopes to take an interactive theatre performance based on Systems Science to the first season of “Best Festival Ever” at the London Science Museum from November 10-21, before bringing the work back to Oz in 2015. To find out more, and maybe chip in, visit bohointeractive.com

M16 Artspace, in Griffith, has a workspace equipped with tables, chairs, easels, a sink and an urn available forcasual and regular hire for workshops, classes and meetings. Inquiries to Bettina on 6295 9438 or visit m16artspace.com.au/hire-spaces.

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