Tall Poppies Records is proud to release Bright Vessel – an important collection of Australian works for solo oboe and oboe d’amore.

Bright Vessel is the culmination of an extensive project by renowned Australian oboist, Stephen Robinson, to capture and preserve many fine examples of Australian oboe repertoire that had not previously been recorded.

It features some superb music written by our best composers including Richard Mills, Liza Lim, Elena Kats-Chernin, Brenton Broadstock, Larry Sitsky, Michael Smetanin, Shaun Rigney, Matthew Hindson and Dennis Vaughan. The compositions range from edgy avant-garde and jazz-influenced works, to more traditional and easy-listening styles.

Robinson has achieved outstanding performances of the eclectic program, teaming with other notable Australian musicians – harpist Marshall McGuire, soprano Merlyn Quaife, pianist Elyane Laussade, percussionist Peter Neville and guitarist Slava Grigoryan.

Robinson is Principal Oboe with Orchestra Victoria and also performed with ELISION Ensemble for many years. In this recording, he combines the lyricism, expressiveness and synthesis of line gained from his experience in the theatre, with the extended techniques developed through collaboration with other musicians in the performance of contemporary music. He is one of very few Australian oboists to give serious attention to Australian repertoire.

Bright Vessel, funded by Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and Arts Victoria, was recorded in Melbourne.