Eric Avery in The Aboriginal Memorial
NAIDOC Week
Eric Avery. Photograph by Jordan Munns.
Free, bookings essential
Celebrate NAIDOC Week 2024 at the National Gallery with the debut performance of a new commission by leading First Nations violinist, Eric Avery, Kabi Marrawuy Mumbulla, Ngiyampaa, Yuin and Gumbangirr people. The performance was commissioned by the National Gallery in response to The Aboriginal Memorial, 1988.
Eric Avery is a celebrated violinist, vocalist dancer and composer from the Ngiyampaa, Yuin and Gumbangirr people of NSW. He works with his family’s custodial songs and his haunting compositions often feature him singing while playing violin, predominantly in the Ngiyampaa language.
Quickly gaining an international reputation, Avery has appeared alongside and in association with some of the greatest artists of our time, from Yo-Yo Ma to Tina Arena. He has commissions and performances booked with Camerata Queensland, Ensemble Offspring, the JACK Quartet, Marrugeku and several of Australia’s major orchestras. He is a 2021 Myer Creative Fellow.
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year’s NAIDOC Week is centred around the theme ‘Keep the fire burning! Blak, loud and proud!’ and runs from 7 – 14 July 2024.
