In 2015, Sydney-born violinist Harmonnia Junus was in New York City, studying for her Master’s degree at The New School’s Mannes College when she found herself yearning to create something new.
She had just completed a semester-long course titled “Entrepreneurial Musician” where she learned how to present her music to the wider public in interesting fresh ways.
“The spark of a ‘I can make anything happen’ attitude was ignited,” Junus told Women’s Agenda. She gathered her friends across various art forms and set up concerts to showcase their work.
“We put together themed performances, working with other artistic disciplines such as dance which sparked my interest as different art forms as they have their own different and unique perspectives on music,” she said.
The friends held their first concert on Valentine’s Day with a concert called ‘Love: Classical to Contemporary.’ Junus realised that she ultimately wanted to bring overseas trends to audiences in Australia.
In 2018, Junus officially named her organisation, Artists By Any Other Name. The collaborative entity invites artists from various disciplines to come together and share their ideas. It’s also a registered not-for-profit through the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) where artists can apply for financial support.
“There aren’t many organisations that serve the needs of artists in the creative industry,” Junus said. “Our focus is on creating unique performances that provides important paid work for performers and has seen us broaden the scope of ABAON.”
This Lunar New Year in February, Junus will bring toward two musical ensembles for a concert titled Legends & Lanterns.
She will be joined onstage by internationally renowned Chinese-Australian cellist Li-Wei Qin, and the Odyssey Symphony Orchestra, led by Hong Kong-born Briton and Musical Director of the Australian Ballet Jonathan Lo. The concert will feature a musical fusion of East and West, showing traditional pieces from the classical Chinese repertoire, including the Spring Festival Overture, Galloping Horses, and a special rendition of Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto for Violin and Erhu, featuring Junus on the violin and Fuhua Li on the erhu.
Junus hopes that by performing popular Chinese music using traditional Chinese instruments like the Erhu, Australian audiences will enrich in their knowledge and perception of Western and Chinese classical music.
“[These performances] are important because we can bring together world-class artists to produce performances that explore different cultural influences and create unique and enriching performances,” she said. “It encourages artists from various backgrounds to explore and merge their artistic voices in a powerful and harmonious symphony.”
By blending traditional art forms with contemporary expressions, Junus believes that the concerts will have something for everyone.
“[We are] bridging the gap between East and West through music so the audience can feel and experience different parts of the world through music. It is helping to foster connection and greater understanding for all who experience it.”
Fellow musician, Li-Wei Qin said that the concerts are a way to share the international language of music, with both Australians and Australian migrant audiences.
“Legends & Lanterns is unique because we will largely be playing to a Chinese audience as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations,” he said.
Junus credits Qin with helping her expand her musical spectrum.
“I see music as a process of constantly learning and I’m quite methodical in my practise and studies. Being methodical many would say is a Chinese trait, that commitment to discipline and perfection. But sometimes I know myself I trust everything on the page a little too much, what’s written there must be done! I have to remind myself to let myself go and let the music flow through me.”
“This is something I am learning more and more through collaborations with the prodigious talent of cellist Li-Wei Qin who is playing in our upcoming Legends & Lanterns performances. It is little wonder Li-Wei Qin is so acclaimed as his technique is flawless, yet the beautiful tones and intonations capture the emotions within the pieces and bring them to fore in the audience.”
Junus hopes to take her concerts to regional Australia in 2024.
“[We hope to] develop our education partnerships and programs to continue to inspire and support the next generation of musicians.”
Legends & Lanterns are holding two upcoming concerts: The Concourse, Chatswood on 11 February 2024 at 3pm AND Sydney Town Hall on 14 February 2024 at 7pm.