With the successful completion of Melbourne Festival, and the recent announcement of the musical acts for Sydney Festival, including Dirty Projectors, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Archie Roach and more; now, it’s the city of churches’ turn for some atypical musical selections.

Following on from Womadelaide’s swelling lineup, Adelaide Festival has announced its extensive mix of artists, bands, and very unique collaborations that will be heading their way to South Australia for the annual arts and culture festival that runs from March 1 – 17 2013, featuring 53 events, 29 of them exclusive to Adelaide festival, from over 1,000 artists, musicians, and writers.

Kicking off the festival in a big way will be one of Australia’s greatest songwriters teaming with one of New Zealand’s most revered and beloved performers, Paul Kelly and Neil Finn will be opening the Adelaide Festival with a huge free concert, together on stage, at sunset at Elder Park, just by the lovely River Torrens.

The unique pairing seems to be a consistent theme of the Adelaide Festival music program, with other performances including American experimental pioneer (and Mrs. Lou Reed) Laurie Anderson joining forces with the contemporary string ensemble, the Kronos Quartet on Saturday 2nd March; as well as former Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns joining celebrated producer, Van Dyke Parks, for a career-spanning retrospective of the famed arranger and composers’ work at Thebarton Theatre on March 8th.

Van Dyke Parks helped with some of the production of Silverchair’s 2002 album, Diorama (most notably on the orchestral sweep of ‘Across The Night’ and ‘Tuna In the Brine’), while his legendary CV includes helping with the Beach Boys masterpiece Smile as well as working with Joanna Newsom, Scissor Sisters, Lightspeed Champion and many, many more.Paul Kelly and Neil Finn will be opening the Adelaide Festival with a huge free concert, together on stage, at sunset at Elder Park, just by the lovely River Torrens.

There’s a strong (post) classical showing to the program as well, with the National’s guitar-playing brothers – Aaron & Bryce Dessner, performing with indie collective Clogs and the Adelaide Art Orchestra, the Calder Quartet & Iva Bittova, as well as performances from Brassland and Friends Deerhoof, Buke and Gase, and Jherek Bischoff.

There’s also a screening of Kubrick’s sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey with live accompaniment from the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Adelaide Chamber Singers, as well as events for Glen Hansard of The Frames, influential 80s electronic Australian group Severed Heads, Archie Roach’s Into The Bloodstream, featuring “a star-studded 13-piece musical ensemble and a 10-voice all-star indigenous gospel choir.”

Meanwhile fans of leftfield electronica have plenty to look forward to with Unsound Adelaide, a series of shows that focus on the latest advanced electronic music with stunning visuals to match.

It’s a veritable who’s who of contemporary experimental, ambient, and electronic artists in visits from the likes of Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never), Tim Hecker, Lustmord, Actress, Emeralds, The Caretaker, Pole, Demdike Stare, and Ben Frost.

Artistic Director David Sefton says that Unsound Adelaide, the ‘Festival within a Festival’ is, “without question… one of the most interesting things happening in music today.”

The full list of performances and ticket details are available from the Adelaide Festival website

Adelaide Festival 2013 Lineup

NEIL FINN & PAUL KELLY (FREE CONCERT)
LAURIE ANDERSON & KRONOS QUARTET
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (FEAT. ADELAIDE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & ADELAIDE CHAMBER VOICES)
ARCHIE ROACH – INTO THE BLOODSTREAM
VAN DYKE PARKS & SPECIAL GUESTS (FEAT. DANIEL JOHNS)
GLEN HANSARD
SEVERED HEADS
DOVEMAN, THIS IS KIT
AARON & BRYCE DESSNER CURATE THE ADELAIDE ART ORCHESTRA, CLOGS
SOLARIS
AUSTRALIAN STRING QUARTET
KARIN SCHAUPP & PAVEL STEIDL
CALDER QUARTET & IVA BITTOVA
BRASSLAND AND FRIENDS DEERHOOF, BUKE AND GASE AND JHEREK BISCHOFF
JORDI SAVALL
GORAN BREGOVIĆ AND THE WEDDINGS & FUNERALS ORCHESTRA
KRONOS QUARTET AND JG THIRLWELL’S MANOREXIA WITH SPECIAL GUEST BRYCE DESSNER
UNSOUND ADELAIDE
Featuring:
TIM HECKER & DANIEL LOPATIN (AKA ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER), ROBIN FOX, V/VM AND TRINITY
THE CARETAKER, EMERALDS AND ACTRESS
LUSTMORD, DEMDIKE STARE, POLE AND BEN FROST
+ MORE

Adelaide Festival Dates & Tickets

March 1st – 17th 2013

Tickets and details at: adelaidefestival.com.au

Tickets and bookings at: bass.net.au

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