Tony Lewis : Represented Artist
Photo: Mayu Kanamori
Tony Lewis is a percussionist, composer, recording producer, ethnomusicologist and music educator with over thirty years of professional experience. Based in Sydney, he specialises in contemporary cross–cultural music forms, and music for dance and theatre. He performs with the acclaimed 'world jazz' trio Waratah, in duet with recorder player Racheal Cogan, and in a number of other contexts.
Throughout his work, Lewis has been committed to the creation of new Australian music with diverse cultural origins. He has composed major works for the Aboriginal National Theatre Trust (Munjong, Victorian Arts Centre 1990), the One Extra Company (Dancing Demons, Indonesian tour 1991), the Chrissie Parrott Dance Company (Satu Langit, Perth Festival 1994), Matthew Doyle and Dhamor Percussion (Wirid–jiribin, the Lyrebird, Festival of the Dreaming 1997), and Sadari Theatre Company (Ching–kom Dari, Seoul 2001). He has also composed numerous smaller works for small, mid–range and independent dance and theatre companies and individual artists, including a large body of work for the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre, Sydney, from 1986–88. In addition he has composed for koto virtuoso Satsuki Odamura and many works for his own performing groups Waratah, Sangam and Dhamor Percussion.
Lewis has performed with many of Australia's leading contemporary and cross–cultural music, dance and theatre groups, and with many visiting international artists – including Sangam, Tal Vad, B'tutta, Caroline Lynn's World Edge, The Renaissance Players, Southern Crossings, Nakisa, REM Theatre, the One Extra Company, The Great Bowing Company, Sandy Evans, Matthew Doyle, Satsuki Odamura, Riley Lee, Mark Atkins, Michael Atherton and Jeannie Lewis.
He has toured internationally to perform, study, teach, and/or conduct cultural exchange projects in many parts of Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and in indigenous communities around Australia. He appeared as a soloist at the Commonwealth Drum Festival in Auckland, 1990, and was Musical Director of the Asian segment of the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.
Lewis convenes music units at Macquarie University, including units on African drumming and Australian indigenous music and dance. He has given guest lectures and/or seminars at universities across Australia and internationally. He is currently undertaking a PhD in Ethnomusicology at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, through research into the garamut (log drum) music of Baluan Island, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea.
Biography provided by the composer — current to December 2008