PETER KNIGHT & DUNG NGUYEN

Dung Nguyen is one of Australiaʼs leading Vietnamese traditional musicians and is also a jazz guitarist. Among his instruments are the dan tranh, dan bau, dan nhi and dan nguyet all of which he learnt from his grandfather continuing a tradition of many generations. In the last ten years he has become increasingly interested in contemporary western guitar traditions, and in the fusion of these with Vietnamese stringed instrument traditions.

He holds a Bachelor of Music (jazz guitar) from the Monash Conservatorium and in 2002 year he won their foundation prize. In addition to being a founding member of the internationally acclaimed cross-cultural ensemble, Way Out West, Dung regularly tours with a variety of Australian and international artists.

Australian trumpeter-composer, Peter Knight is a multidisciplinary musician who has gained wide acclaim for his eclectic approach, which integrates jazz, world music, and experimental traditions. He leads several projects of his own and appears as a soloist in a range of settings, he also composes for theatre and film, and has created sound installations.

Peter appears internationally, with recent highlights including high profile performances with his group Way Out West at Montreal Jazz Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, and Veneto Jazz Festival. In 2009 Way Out West also toured Korea and Japan including concerts at Takatsuki Jazz Festival. He performs solo (trumpet and laptop) notably at Labor Sonor in Berlin (2009) and the Banff Centre of the Arts (Canada 2007). In 2009/2010 he also performed as part of Erik Griswoldʼs Wide Alley at Auckland Festival, Sydney Opera House, Vancouver Jazz Festival and Ottawa Jazz Festival.

Peter is the recipient of numerous grants and awards. In 2009 he won (with Way Out West) the Bell Award for ʻAustralian Jazz Ensemble of the Year'. In 2008 he was nominated for the APRA Awards, ʻJazz Composition of the Year.ʼ In 2007 he was awarded the Rolston Music Fellowship by the Banff Centre for the Arts, which enabled him to take up a composerʼs residency in October 2007. Peterʼs work has also been supported by grants from The Ian Potter Trust, Australia Council for the Arts, Arts Victoria, Alan C. Rose Trust, Australia/Korea Foundation, Australian International Cultural Council, and The Myer Foundation. He was the 2005 recipient of the Keith and Elizabeth Murdoch Travelling Fellowship (VCA). Peter has released six albums of his compositions in the last eight years with ensembles including, Way Out West, his eponymously titled quartet, and the 5 2 Brass Ensemble.

He has been commissioned to compose various works, has scored for short films, created sound installations (notably for sound art company Double Venturi). He has also worked in theatre, most recently as sound designer/composer for Tamara Saulwick's Pin Drop (produced by Arts House August 2010).