For The Page and the Stage

Highly selected & recent essays, articles, critiques and commentary

Bryce Dessner’s Solo Recording a Beautiful Paradox November 2024

In the Service of Society: How an International cultural policy can set new paradigms for cultural diplomacy to enrich, embrace and elevate our future ENCATC ISBN ISBN: 978-92-990088-7-4 October 2024

Salome at Paris Opera - Women take care !! Classical Voice North America May 2024

Teodor Currentzis with Utopia in Berlin May 2024

The Constellations of the Adelaide Festival Classical Voice North America March 2024

Translating a Nobel Prize Winner The Guardian, December 2023

Ridiculous Virtuosity Asko|Schoenberg Ensemble at Concertgebouw October 2023

Bergen Festival 2023 Classical Voice North America July 2023

Slow Beethoven 20 May 2023 Classical Voice North America

Brodsky String Quartet and William Barton 3 May 2023 Classical Voice North America

Will women overturn the world of conducting? ENTER THE CONDUCTRICE | Essay AEON January 2023

IL PUNTO Il difficile mestiere di direttrice d’orchestra (che forse cambierà il modo di dirigere le orchestre) | Corriere della Sera January 2023

Lyric of an Anti-opera Sun and Sea | Classical Voice North America Review January 2023

Mahler Ninth In Paris: Dudamel, Opera Band Offer Restrained Drama Classical Voice North America September 21, 2022

The Future of Cultural Diplomacy Diplomatic Courier July 2022

Global Issues, Diverse Perspectives Set Edge On 75th Holland Fest Classical Voice North America June 30, 2022

Bridge to a Sensory Realm Australian Financial Review April 2022

Fresh from a Recording Studio: Ruth Slenczynska Classical Voice North America 23 March 2022

Boston Lyric Opera and Svadba | Classical Voice North America 11 March 2022

Addressing the representation of Black composers in Classical Music | Classical Voice North America November 2021

Simone Dinnerstein @ The Butler performing Richard Danielpour | Classical Voice North America October 2021

Festivals in Crisis, an essay | Overland | September 2021

Festival Drama is an Ode To Human Resilience In Face Of Human Frailty Psyche AEON July 2021

The Soundtrack of our Lives An Essay on the Art of your Inner Amateur Psyche AEON June 2021

Women of Note | The Canberra Times April 2021

Four Winds Festival makes connections with land and spirit | The Australian April 2021

Australian Music Fest Offers Contemplation Amid Nature’s Realm | Classical Voice North America April 2021

Chicago Symphony Orchestra | Chamber Music Series Casts Revelatory Light On Black Composers | Classical Voice North America March 2021

Isolation, Anxiety: Pandemic In Music For Soulful Voices | Classical Voice North America January 2021

Music is a Philosophy Rich In Ideas | Essay Psyche AEON September 2020

Dinnerstein Probes Depths Of Stillness In Schubert, Glass | Review |

Writing to Andriessen | Book Review | Classical Voice North America |

Adelaide Festival 2020 | Adelaide Review | March 2020

Adelaide Festival 2020 | Breaking the Waves | Adelaide Review | 2020

The Art of the Festival Perth Festival | Adelaide Review | 2020

Sydney Festival 2020 | The Log Journal National Sawdust New York | February 2020

Sydney Festival | Classical Voice North America | January 2020

Chicago’s Grammy Mojo | The Chicago Tribune | January 2020

Verdi Requiem at The Shed New York | Classical Voice North America | November 2019

Zauberland, White Light Festival, Lincoln Center for the Art | Classical Voice North America | November 2019

Janis Brenner and Muyassar Kurdi | Lessons in Laughter and Lineage | National Sawdust Log October 2019

Ultima Arts Festival Norway | To the Moon and Back | Classical Voice North America | September 2019

Oped on Music Competitions: Much Prized | Limelight | Online and September issue | September 2019

Sweet Music to Save the World | Kronos Quartet Feature | The Australian | September 2019

Holes in the Sky | National Sawdust | The Log Journal | September 2019

The Art of the Festival - Oped | International Arts Manager | August 2019

Ice celebrates gifts of Iranian Women | Mostly Mozart | Classical Voice North America | August 2019

Pavarotti : Film Review: Genius is Forever | Limelight | July 2019

Boulez, Twyla Tharp and the Creed of Curiosity | New Music Box | February 2019

Creative Fare Piques Curiosity and Sensibilities | Creative Fest Fare Piques Curiosity And Sensibilities | May 2019

The Xen of Opera | Women making their mark in Opera | April 2019

Composer as Social Interlocutor April 2019

Julia Wolfe World Premiere Fire in my My Mouth | Classical Voice North America | January 2019

Ultima Festival Laurie Anderson: The Language of the Future | The Log Journal | October 2018

Tan Dun Premiere: Fire Ritual | Classical Voice North America | September 2018

Opera Saratoga Rocking Horse a Thrilling Winner  Classical Voice North America  | 6 July 2018

The Metropolitan Opera "Cavalleria Rusticana" London Financial Times 9 January 2018

The Metropolitan Opera, "Norma"  London Financial Times |   December  2017

Prague's Collegium  1704 Feature Article  La Scena MusicaleOctober 2017

The Verbier Festival 2017 An excursion in opulence |  La Scena Musicale | July 2017 

Silence, Voice and the Dialogic Scream  Arts and International Affairs, The Arts Journal  | July 2017

The Fifteenth Cliburn International Piano Competition, La Scena Musicale | June 2017

The New Commandments of Cultural Diplomacy The Log Journal | April 2017

Philippe Bourque's Elijah La Scena Musicale | March 2017

Reflection: Prototype Festival: New York  The Log Journal  | January 2017

A reflection on Handel's Ariodante at National Sawdust (New York) The Log Journal @ National Sawdust December 2016

Pharrell Williams, Bob Dylan & Christopher Cerrone New York Festival of Song | December 2016  

L' Amour de Loin: The Metropolitan Opera La Scena Musicale |  December 2016

Four Days at the Verbier Festival (Switzerland) La Scena Musicale |  July 2016

Marina Abramović’s “Goldberg” and Anri Sala’s “Ravel Ravel” The Park Avenue Armory and The New Museum (New York) Music and Literature Marina Abamovic's Goldberg and Anri Sala's Ravel Ravel  | February 2016

Laurie Anderson: Habeas Corpus. The Park Avenue Armory (New York) Music and Literature

A Giant Leap for a Curator: Melissa Chiu The Australian (New York) | 2014

Australian Artists play with emblems at Whitney Biennale New York 2014 ABC: Ricky Swallow and Jeff Gibson

Creative Sanctuary The Age: Featured Essay

Beyond Recognition: The photograph behind the artist: Laurie Anderson, Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Germaine Greer

The Age: Cover Essay

Pioneer with a Rainbow Voice: An interview with Dawn Upshaw
The Age: Feature

Lending Aural Support: Some of our best acts put their egos aside in honor of Leonard Cohen
The Age: Feature

Notes from a lethal love affair
The Age: Notes from a lethal love affair

 

Selected commentary and reviews

Book Review: Existentialism and Romantic Love Review published JPR Studies Journal  August 2016

How do you change a stereotype?
The Age: The role of Cultural Diplomacy

The Lost Art of DoodlingThe Sydney Morning Herald

In death, complex artist’s legacies will take on a life of their own: Amy Winehouse
The Sydney Morning Herald

Selected Recent Radio Words


Cutting edge Contemporary Opera in New York from Nico Muhly at The Met to Kamala Sankaram’s Thumbprint at Prototype Festival New York
ABC Radio National
 

Korean and Australia Year of Friendship
ABC Radio Australia

For the Stage


The Singing Lesson

        A new choral work for SSAA, Music by Stein Eide | Words by Xenia Hanusiak

Text from “Diary of a Song”

Published by Universal Edition

___________________________________________________________________________________

Ward B

A Dramatic Monologue
Play        Xenia Hanusiak
Music     David Franzke
R.E. Ross Trust Award, Literature Board (Australia Council)
Script available on application

“In Ward B, Xenia Hanusiak summons an extraordinary voice. A Chinese man, wrongly condemned, makes an account of his life in a strange Pidgin English he has taught himself. Notions about race and prejudice are inherent in the grammar of the text, rendered with a compelling musicality.”

Judging Panel RE Ross Trust Awards


    Earth Songs 

A music theatre work for pansori, opera singer, indigenous                     
Australian performers, Sharman, Aura ensemble, videography
Music       Cecilia Heejong Kim
Homart Theatre Seoul (Korea), Melbourne Recital Centre (Melbourne), Sydney Conservatorium of Music (Sydney)

Into the Musical Portal
An Insight into Earth Songs

Earth Songs … a beguiling amalgam of ancient and modern cultural traditions.” The Age


  A thousand doors, a thousand windows 

Music theatre for soprano, electronics and videography
Libretto            Xenia Hanusiak
Composer       Constantine Koukias
Video               Cazerine Barry

Word Premiere Melbourne International Arts festival, Sydney Festival, Ten Days on the Island Festival, National Multicultural Arts Festival, Mildura Arts Festival, The Esplanade (Singapore), Shanghai Spring Music Festival  

“Hanusiak has a solid reputation in contemporary music, not only for her collaborations but also for her own works, in particular A thousand doors, a thousand windows which has enjoyed exceptional public approbation.” The Age

Night

“It was a thoroughly engrossing musico-theatrical experience …” Opera, opera

“It’s a powerful piece …”

The Australian


            Un_labelled  

For Children’s Chorus
Composer: Elena Kats-Chernin
Text: Xenia Hanusiak and Elena Kats-Chernin
Young People’s Chorus of New York City, Premiere New York City NY. Published by Boosey and Hawkes, CD Recording, Transient Glory

Transient Glory Program Notes
Boosey & Hawkes


           The Mstaken Identity

A Dramatic monologue for Soprano and String Quartet
Libretto         Xenia Hanusiak
Composer      Elena Kats-Chernin    
Australian String Quartet and Xenia Hanusiak (Soprano)
Premiere performance 2000 Adelaide Festival of Arts, Australia. Published by Boosey and Hawkes, Recording Australia Council/ABC                 


             In the Service of Beauty


A Dance Opera
Libretto  Xenia Hanusiak
Music      Elena Kats-Chernin