The Living Room Theatre

The Long Neck core ensemble consists of 5 double bass players (sometimes more) who improvise together around a provocation set by artistic director Michelle St Anne. The ensemble formed for a theatrical production ‘the foul of the air’ and have since remained played together in different settings as purely a sound ensemble which included guest artists. We are responsive to space, climate, and the domestic sounds of the environment.

Michelle St Anne is the Artistic Director and founder of The Living Room Theatre.

Maximillian Alduca
Bassist, composer and improviser Maximillian Alduca has established himself as a force of creative energy amongst the Sydney Jazz scene. Max is currently involved in a variety of collaborations spanning Jazz, Classical and improvised music. As well as being a sideman to some of Australia’s leading Jazz instrumentalists such as Dale Barlow and Warwick Alder (Warwick Alders Jazznostics), Max has been touring locally and Internationally with contemporary Jazz projects Vulkan (Aus/DK), Peter Koopman trio and Antipodes (Aus/NZ). Recent highlights have included festival appearances at the 2015 Wellington International Jazz Festival with pianist Steve Barry and Adelaide festival 2016 ‘Tectonics’ with the Splinter Orchestra, following an adventure into deep west NSW where ‘Mungo’ was recorded and since released in January 2017. Max has been in the studio various times recently with the release of an original album ‘The Rumour of Forests and Waves’ from Trioflight, a free flowing, freely improvising trio with drummer Dave Goodman and pianist Nick Southcott. Aus/DK collaboration Vulkan is set to tour Europe in 2017 with the release of ‘Venting’ including appearances at Copenhagen and Aarhus international Jazz festivals.

Marie-Louise Bethune 
Marie-Louise began playing with the Cape Town Symphony and CAPAB orchestras before completing her BMus in piano and double bass at the South African College of Music. In 1990 she moved to Germany, where she completed a Masters in double bass and played with i.a. the Niederrheinische Symphoniker [1996–1998], Duisburger Sinfoniker [1998], Notabu Ensemble für Neue Musik [1993–1998], Robert Schumann Kammerorchester [1993–1995], Neander Sinfonietta [1993–2000], and the Düsseldorf Bassquartett [1994]. She was invited to play and tour with the RIAS-Jugend Orchester [Berlin, Amsterdam & Jerusalem, 1994–1995], and the World Symphony Orchestra [Berlin & Paris, 1995]. Marie-Louise performed as a soloist at the Düsseldorf Altstadtherbst festival [1995] and a production of Kounadis’ Die Baßgeige [1994].

After migrating to Australia in 2001, she free-lanced with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra [2002–2003]. Marie-Louise is principal bassist of the newly formed Greater Sydney Orchestra and as part of the Bass Liberation Orchestra has performed with The Living Room Theatre since 2019.

Dave Ellis
Dave has an extensive playing career that has spanned several decades, playing Double Bass and Bass Guitar, Dave has been a member of the Western Australian (WASO) and Sydney Symphony Orchestras (SSO), the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust (Sydney) Orchestra (Co-Principal), the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO – Principal), the Australian Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME – Principal), and several Freelance Orchestras (Principal in each). He has also played extensively in Jazz, Rock, Country and Folk Music, Cabaret and Experimental and Spontaneous Improvisation ensembles. He was a founding member of the highly acclaimed contemporary Flamenco group, Arrebato Ensemble 2005-2017.

Since the 70s, Dave has formed and led several Double Bass Ensembles. The current ensemble, Bass Liberation Orchestra (aka ‘The Basses’), focuses on spontaneous improvisation, has 18 members and includes students, professionals, luthiers and a bowmaker.

Jacques Emery
Jacques is a double bassist who improvises and composes, and is highly active in the Sydney jazz and improvised music scenes. Highlights from this year include performances with the Australian Art Orchestra at Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Wangaratta Jazz Festival, EFG London Jazz Festival, and Jazztopad Festival (Poland). He also co-leads instrumental techno band BIKE THIEF, indie-jazz trio HEKKA, and regularly collaborates with other like-minded young musicians. Jacques will complete his Bachelor of Music Performance (Jazz) in 2019.

Will Hansen
Will is a Sydney based Double Bassist, improviser and composer. A co-founder of SPIRAL ensemble and a member of Ensemble Onsombl (always spelt a different way), Will has made appearances at venues such as 107 Redfern, City Recital Hall and Sydney Town Hall, with groups including SPIRAL, Lost+sound (curated by Sarah Elise Thompson, Josephine Macken and Alexis Weaver) and the Australian String Quartet in Backstage Music’s “ASQ+ Will Hansen”. An avid New Music enthusiast, he has premiered a number of new works for solo double bass by fellow composers and colleagues, and plans to premier multiple new pieces in 2019. In the future, Will looks forward to being featured as a soloist in Ensemble Offspring’s 2019 Hatched Academy Open Mic Night, embarking on an interstate tour with SPIRAL and continuing to play across Sydney and abroad.