CV
Decibel New Music Ensemble
is a award winning ensemble founded in Western Australia in 2009
Artists
Cat Hope (flutes/bass/composition/artistic director),
Lindsay Vickery(reeds/composition/programming),
Aaron Wyatt (voila/iOS programming),
Tristen Parr (Cello,/production),
Stuart James (piano/composition/programming/sound design)
Louise Devenish (percussion)
Press
“utterly masterful” – Loudmouth Magazine, 2023″
“an exercise in expert control … spellbinding, revelatory listening” The Reviews Hub, UK 2022
“Five out of five stars!” [Revolutions Concert, 2018] Jonathan Marshall, Limelight, December, 2018.
“Adventurous, inquisitive, challenging. Decibel honour and sabotage modernist traditions.” – Cool Perth Nights, 2011
“Decibel performances are always musically persuasive” Andy Hamilton, The Wire 2014
“From very musical to very conceptual but always very enjoyable”. Vital Weekly 910, 2013.
“Perth’s five-piece Decibel has entered the history of experimental music” Darren Jorgensen RealTime, 2016.
“Decibel invite you to explore the world sonically beyond the immediate aural experiences normally presented to you” Keely Cozens, 2014, New Music Box, USA.
“Decibel blows the traditional out of the water” Rosalind Appleby, Limelight September 2017
“After Julia is a most unusual cultural event — a heartfelt artistic tribute to a significant Australian politician” RealTime Arts, 2017
“A stunning world premiere’. [The Nature of Sound Concert, 2016] Rosalind Appleby, The West Australian Newspaper.
“A fascinating Homage”. [Intermodulations concert, 2016] Rosalind Appleby, The West Australian.utterly
Awards
APRA|AMC Art Music Luminary Award for an organisation for “a sustained commitment that has transformed the Australian music landscape” 2025
APRA|AMC Award for Excellence in Experimental music, 2011, 2014 (nominated in 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018).
Arts Hub Performing Arts Awards (finalist) 2012
WAM Awards (finalist) 2013. 2015, 2018.
Tours
European tours 2012, 2013, 2017: Poland, Belgium, Germany, Italy.
UK tour 2022: Bath Spa, Liverpool, Huddersfield, London (City University, Cafe Oto, Brunel Tunnel)
Australian tours 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2021
Malaysia and Singapore, 2015
Japan 2016
Summers Night Tour, Australia, 2018.
Festivals and Appearances
Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, 2022 (Cat Hope monograph concert)
International Technologies of Notation and Representation (TENOR) conference, ensemble in residence 2019
TedX Perth, 2012. ‘The Decibel Score Player’
Tokyo WonderSite, 2016.
Liquid Architecture Festival (2011),
Curva Minore,Palermo Italy (2013, 2017)
Sogno Di Sole, Palermo, Italy (2012)
International Computer Music Conference, ensemble in residence (2013)
The Totally Huge New Music Festival (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017)
New Music Days, SWR radio (Germany, 2013).
Film Music
Dark Water Directed and Produced by Erin Coates and Anna Nazzari, 12 minutes, 2015.
Blight. Directed by Perun Bonser. Factor 30 Films. 12 mins, 2017.
Cetaphobia. Directed and Produced by Erin Coates and Anna Nazzari, 12 minutes, 2015.
Art Calls TV series by Tracey Moffatt, 2014. GOMA, Brisbane, Perth International Art Festival, PICA, Perth and ABC Arts Online.
Paradise Falls I, II by Kate McMillan. HD film, 2.49 minutes, editioned to three. Venn Gallery, June 2012 and Kunsthaus Bethanian, Berlin, December 2017.
Thematic Concerts to Date
Drawing Sound in Space, Perth, 2023
2 Minutes from Home, Perth, Melbourne, 2022, Liverpool, London 2022.
Decibel 10 at 10: Perth, Melbourne 2019.
Revolutions, Subiaco Theatre Centre, 2018, Melbourne Recital Centre 2022.
Electric Concerto, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, 2017.
The Nature of Sound: Music by Lionel Marchetti and Eliane Radigue, Perth 2016, Melbourne 2019, London 2022
After Julia, Sydney 2014, Perth 2015, Brisbane 2017, Melbourne 2017.Chance Figurations, Tokyo WonderSite, Kunatachi School of Music, Japan, 2016.
The WA Composers Project, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, 2013
Sounding A Room, State Museum of WA, 2012
Small Things, State Theatre Centre, 2012
Music on a String: Jon Rose Turned 60, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, 2012
Camera Obscura, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, 2011
A Voice from a Dark Space, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, 2011
Pretty Things, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, 2011
Somacoustica, Callaway Auditorium, 2009.
Tape It, West Australian Academy of Performing Arts, 2009
Visual art and Music Programs
Sounding Art, Packenham Street Art Space, 2017.
Drawn From Sound Spectrum Gallery 2013, Sydney, 2014.
Monograph Concerts
Cat Hope: HCMF, 2022.
Lionel Marchetti: Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, 2019.
The Complete John Cage Project, Palermo (2012), Perth (2012), Brisbane (2012), Trieste, Torino, Napoli, Venice (2013), Tanjong Malim, Malaysia (2013) Tokyo (2016)
Intermodulation – The Music of Roger Smalley, State Theatre Centre, 2016.
Occam – The Music of Eliane Radigue, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, 2015
Inner Space – The Giacinto Scelsi Project, Palermo 2013, Melbourne Recital Centre, 2014.
Still and Moving Lines – The Music of Alvin Lucier, West Australian Academy of Performing Arts, 2010
An exhibition of Decibel posters was held at the State Library of WA in 2016, featuring over 20 posters by long time collaborator, When Studio.
Recordings
2025: Speechless. An opera by Cat Hope. Hat Hut Art, Swiss) CD
2024: The Complete John Cage Variations Project (Mode, USA), CD/Book
2023: After Julia Tall Poppies TP102, CD
2023: Lionel Marchetti: Inland Lake, Room 40, 2023. CD
2022 Cat Hope: Decibel (Ezzthetics 1029, Swiss). CD
2018 The Last Days of Reality, (Room 40, Aus). CD, (Dec 2018).
2017 Cat Hope ‘Ephemeral Rivers’ (two tracks) (Hat Hut Art, Swiss), CD (Sept 2017).
2015 Tuned Darker,(Listen:Hear, Aus). LP and Bandcamp.
2013 Still and Moving Lines: the Music of Alvin Lucier, (Pogus, USA), CD
2012 Stasis Ecstatic, (Heartless Robot Productions, Aus), 2 x LP and Bandcamp
2010 Disintegration: Mutation,(hellosQuared, Aus), CD and Bandcamp.