Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Event Details

In the northeast Pacific in the late 1980s, oceanographers detected a uniquely high-pitched whale song that had never been documented before. It seemed to be coming from a single individual. Scientists dubbed it the ‘52-Hertz Whale,’ and continued to record it whenever its song was detected. To this day, the whale continues to sing, but has never been sighted, nor been identified by species. Its migration patterns resemble those of the rorqual whale family—blue and fin whales specifically—but its voice is much higher.

The recordings suggest the whale has never found a mate or a pod; whether this is because other whales can’t hear it, or do not recognise it as one of their species, is not known. It has been called by some “the world’s loneliest whale.”

Rorqual takes the story of the 52-Hertz Whale as the inspiration for an intimate and affecting work that journeys through withdrawal, solitude, resilience, and connection. Using found and repurposed texts drawn from the deep past to the present, composer Wally Gunn’s song cycle fuses classical and indie-rock music, and features the ethereal vocals of jazz singer Gian Slater, the searingly precise musicians of Rubiks Collective, immersive interludes from sound artist Tilman Robinson, and dark dreamscape projections from film artist Chris Bennett. The show takes the audience from the ocean’s shimmering surface to its mysterious depths, and back. Join us for Rorqual, the story of this modern-day mythological creature that continues to sing its one-of-a-kind song.

Further information for this event is available online at the event's website or by phone on 0402 374 045 or by email to hello@rubikscollective.com

Featured artists

• Presented by Rubiks Collective
• Music of Wally Gunn
• Music of Tilman Robinson
• Performer Tamara Kohler
• Performer Kaylie Melville
• Performer Gian Slater
• Performer Natasha Fearnside
• Performer Gemma Kneale
• Performer Jacob Abela