The Piano Mill

11/09/2025

Coursed Waters – ‘Sensemaker’ Album Launch Tour

🎷 Sam Gill – saxophones
🎹 Novak Manojlovic – piano
🎻 Jacques Emery – double bass
🥁 James McLean – drums

One of Australia’s most dynamic modern jazz quartets, Coursed Waters returns with ‘Sensemaker’ — their bold new album on Earshift Music.

Out this October, Sensemaker dives into how we make sense of the world, blending deep improvisation with cutting-edge compositions.

Following their acclaimed debut ‘Many Altered Returns’, the band is back with more boundary-pushing sounds.

🎟️ Catch them live on tour in the intimate concert setting of Lagavulin @ the Piano Mill.

BOOKINGS https://events.humanitix.com/coursed-waters-sensemaker

📷 Clayton Thomas

21/08/2025

🎶 Huge congratulations to all the nominees and winners of the National Art Music Awards! 🎉 These awards celebrate the incredible breadth and depth of musical creativity thriving across Australia.

At HLC, we feel truly honoured to have welcomed so many of these inspiring artists to Harrigans Lane (and the Piano Mill) over the years. This year, we’re especially proud to acknowledge Jon Rose (the Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music), Stephen Adams (Luminary, National Individual), Cat Hope and Lindsay Vickery (Decibel, Luminary, National Organisation), Cathy Milliken (Art Music Award for Work of the Year, Chamber Music), Chloe Kim and Helen Svoboda (Art Music Award for Performance of the Year, Jazz/Improvised Music) and Therese Milanovic (Muses Trio, State and Territory Luminary Award, Queensland) — all winners in their respective categories and whose work has resonated deeply with our audiences here in remote Willson’s Downfall.

Thank you for sharing your brilliance with us. ✨

And congratulations to the Australian Music Centre for 50 years promoting and supporting Australian Music, Musicians and Composers 🙌🏼

APRA AMCOS Australian Music Centre

10/08/2025

Hello friends,
How is your winter going? We haven’t forgotten you—and we hope you haven’t forgotten us! We’ve just been hibernating a little while we prepare for some exciting Spring concerts. And speaking of exciting …

We have news! The Piano Mill, principal venue in the suite of Harrigans Lane buildings, is now under the auspices of the rebadged Harrigans Lane CoLab (formerly Harrigans Lane Collective, funded privately and operating as a not-for-profit). As of June 4, 2025, Harrigans Lane CoLab is officially registered as a charity.

With this new chapter comes the formation of HLC’s inaugural Board of Directors, a passionate and diverse team committed to shaping the future of HLC. This doesn’t change what we do at the Piano Mill. A musical instrument at the scale of a building, variously described as a unique, architectural structure, art installation, and performance machine, powered by the carcasses of vintage pianos, it continues to be a home for place-inspired music and art.

Bruce and Jocelyn Wolfe, together with Erik Griswold and Vanessa Tomlinson, have dedicated years to nurturing this space where creativity, environment, and community intersect. Under the auspices of HLC, we are committed to artistic collaboration and regional cultural development and hope that we have laid the foundation for the site as a vibrant, interdisciplinary hub for artists, thinkers, and makers. This will continue to be the direction and purpose of activities at the Piano Mill, including the Lagavulin Chamber Music Hall and other sites on the 200 hectare property.

In the coming months, we will be making some changes to our website, social media, and our subscriber newsletter—thank you for bearing with us during this transition.

As well as keeping up with events at the Piano Mill on this page, you can find us under the new domain address
www.harriganslanecolab.com.au

And on Instagram

We’ll be back in early September with announcements of what’s coming up in our Lagavulin Concert Series, our remaining Artists in Residence for 2025, and when applications open for Artist Residencies in 2026.

Lots in the pipeline—and we can’t wait to share more with you soon!

04/07/2025

A decade ago, this creation, born of a story stranger than fiction, was becoming a reality! Its name still a mystery …

18/05/2025

TLDR’s intergenerational lineup adds a cool vitality to their performance. Very satisfying.

Left to right: Peter Knight’s trumpet—filtered through laptop effects—hovers between earthy and otherworldly. Helen Svoboda’s wordless vocals over electric bass are a revelation; Theo Carbo’s minimalist guitar textures shimmer and shift; and Quinn Knight adds a nuanced touch that favours atmosphere over flash. Together they shaped a mesmerising sonic terrain that had the audience captivated.

18/05/2025

The musical landscape at Harrigans Lane was again subtly reshaped on Sunday afternoon with the performance of TLDR*, the bold new quartet led by trumpet visionary Peter Knight. Known internationally for pushing sonic boundaries, Knight really has created a group that dissolves genre lines. Our audience in Lagavulin was treated to an immersive, meditative soundscape that simply compelled us to listen deeply. So good!

*Too Long Didn’t Read

Their debut album is set to drop on Earshift Music in July 2025. Head to peterknightmusic.com for more info and tour dates.

05/05/2025

Are you ready for TLDR?
Coming next in the Lagavulin Concert Series at the Piano Mill on May 17!

TLDR is a bold new quartet led by acclaimed trumpeter and composer Peter Knight, formerly Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra.
Knight is known for fusing acoustic and electronic techniques—trumpet, effects, loops, and vintage gear—to create immersive soundscapes influenced by ambient, jazz, and experimental music.

Joining Knight are three standout voices from Melbourne’s vibrant music scene: bassist and vocalist Helen Svoboda, whose ethereal soprano floats above deep grooves; guitarist Theo Carbo, whose minimalist style brings rhythmic intensity and texture; and Quinn Knight, a gifted 20-year-old drummer whose shimmering percussion anchors the ensemble’s rich, evolving soundscape.

“Hypnotic, minimal, groove-based music that is fresh and distinctive”, TLDR offers an immersive live experience that’s contemporary and beyond genre.

📀 TLDR’s debut album will be released in May 2025 on Earshift Music, alongside their national tour.

🎟️ If you haven’t booked yet, don’t wait—tickets are selling fast!

👉 Click here to book on Humanitix https://events.humanitix.com/tldr-too-long-didn-t-read

28/04/2025

A beautifully detailed and insightful review of Easter at the Piano Mill by Gillian Wills in Australian Arts Review. Great reading even if you were not able to join us!

Gillian Wills takes a look at Easter at the Piano Mill: Made of Wood - which was presented at the Harrigan’s Lane Collective on Sunday 20 April 2025.

26/04/2025

Are you ready for the next happening at the Piano Mill?

Up next is the final concert in our Lagavulin Concert Series until the warmth of spring returns! This next concert features several familiar faces and introduces an exciting new performer.

TLDR is a new quartet brought together by trumpeter/composer Peter Knight who was until recently the artistic director of the Australian Art Orchestra (2013-23).

Peter was part of the “Imaginary Aviary” in the 2024 Easter at the Piano Mill. Bassist/vocalist Helen Svoboda is a welcome regular performer here, and guitarist Theo Carbo performed in Sam Anning’s “Earthen” in June 2024. Joining them is newcomer, drummer Quinn Knight. No surprise that Peter has a talented son!

Grab a ticket for a cosy seat in this final intimate concert for the season.

Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/tldr-too-long-didn-t-read

Peter Knight Helen Svoboda Theo Carbo Quinn Knight

The Lagavulin Concert Series is curated by Erik Griswold.

25/04/2025

The Piano Mill team—Bruce and Jocelyn—wish to extend their heartfelt thanks to everyone who brought their incredible talent and enthusiasm to the unforgettable Tenth Anniversary of Easter at the Piano Mill.

We’re deeply grateful for the creativity and energy that was brought to this unique place and event—it’s a gift to all who come to observe, to listen, and to learn.

And that makes the audience special too—both the familiar faces who return year after year and those discovering the Mill for the first time. Everyone seems to embrace the afternoon’s journey across a rich landscape of sound and setting with thoughtfulness, attention, and deep appreciation.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the extraordinary Vanessa and Erik. For over a decade, they’ve been at the heart of it all—shaping the soundscape of Harrigans Lane and drawing out the magic woven into its architecture and natural beauty.

Thank you for every sonic, visual, and creative element contributed to Easter at the Piano Mill. People leave feeling as though they’ve experienced something rare and special—because they have.

Easter at the Piano Mill is co-produced by Harrigans Lane Collective and Clocked Out, with artistic direction from Vanessa Tomlinson.

Louise Denson Genevieve Fry Frankie Dyson Reilly Glenn Barry Anna Grinberg Stephen Adams Alex Raineri Jan Baker-Finch Chris Stover Noz Omote Colin Noble Alistair Noble Helen Svoboda Shenzo Gregorio Robert Davidson Peta Leigh Wilson Libby Myers Renata Buziak Vanessa Tomlinson Erik Griswold

23/04/2025

23/04/2025

Easter 2025 kicked off on Saturday with "Watching the Stars", a concert of original songs by Pauline Maudy Music with collaborators Peta Leigh Wilson and Robert Davidson. Perfect concert vibe for twilight.