Alies Sluiter

Composer/Violinist/MD:Alies Sluiter graduated from the VCA in 2003, and obtained her Master of Arts in Screen Composition from the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in 2005. She has composed for over 20 short films and 2 feature films (most recently Foxtel’s ‘Fish Out of Water’ Starring Ian Thorpe) as well as numerous commissioned works for television and theatre productions.In 2005 she was funded by the Australian Film Commission and the Australian Embassy in Berlin to attend the Berlinale Talent Campus (Berlin, Germany) as a composer and in the 2004 Melbourne International Arts Festival, she worked with the British composer/producer Nitin Sawhney in Aftershock. Alies was subsequently invited to perform in the UK Aftershock, held at the Sage Concert hall in Gateshead (UK). During this year she performed in the critically acclaimed production Zero Degrees (composer Nitin Sawhney) which received the prestigious Helpmann Award in 2007 (Australia) and was also nominated for an Olivier Award, Critics Circle Award and Time Out Award (United Kingdom).Among others she has performed, musically directed, composed, recorded, appeared on radio/television, toured and collaborated with people such as David Helfgott, Nitin Sawhney, Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Sylvie Guillem, Aref Durvesh, Shane Howard, Hugh Jackman, Netsayi Chigwendere, Velure, Valanga Khoza, John Odea and The Borderer's. Alies has toured extensivley throughout Europe, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Argentina and Australia, performing at venues such as Sadlers Wells, London, The New York City Centre, Champs De Elysees - Paris, France, La Monnai,-Belgium, Stadsschouwburg – Amsterdam, Odeion of Herod Atticus - Athens and Theatre Grec – Barcelona and the Sydney Opera House to name a few.In 2005, Alies was invited by the Australia Council for the Arts to perform at the launch of Undergrowth in London (UK). In 2006 Alies collaborated with Composer and cellist Philip Sheppard and Akram Khan for Khan’s production Sacred Monsters with Sylvie Guillem. In 2007, she composed several tracks for Akram’s piece ‘Lost Shadow’s” which was premiered in Taipei, Taiwan and was the Musical Director for ‘The Mahabharata’ written by Olivier Award winning writer Stephen Clark with a Score by Nitin Sawhney which premiered at Sadlers Wells, London, UK with an orchestral accompaniment.In 2006 she began writing ‘Mouth Music’ a Musical in collaboration with the ‘Tutti Ensemble’, funded by the Australia Council for the Arts. The work in progress was staged to critical acclaim, and further funding has been received for further development to be undertaken in 2008. Alies is currently touring with Akram Khan and recording the debut ‘Picture Box Orchestra’ album as well as composing for the upcoming feature film Solid, Liquid, Gas, H2O, directed by Alejandra Canales.‘Sluiter creates a magnificent soundscape. An artist of this caliber is worth further investment’. Amanda Phillips (Artistic review on Mouth Music).‘I suspect it will become a “must see” theatrical work’ – David Jobling. In Review: The Tutti Ensemble’s ‘Mouth Music’I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)