The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra performs a world première by Harry Sdraulig - a leading Australian composer of his generation.

A fire alarm. A creak in the floorboards. Some approaching footsteps. An unexpected gust of wind. These everyday sound cues inspired young Australian composer Harry Sdraulig when crafting Flashout.

Flashout explores, in musical terms, a kind of opposition between familiarity and continuity on the one hand, and disruption or impetus on the other. It begins with a discordant, declamatory brass fanfare which quickly dissipates into a series of busy, rapid textures punctuated by flashes of instrumental colour. The harmonic language remains rich and chromatic throughout the work, with heavy and often abrupt contrasts between forceful orchestral tuttis and soft, sparse soundscapes. The second half of the piece is marginally more relaxed but builds to a forceful, energetic conclusion which revisits the starkness of the opening.

Short and sharp, Flashout makes for a vivid and frenetic listening experience.

Performed live as part of Beethoven's Eroica on 27 April 2024 at Federation Concert Hall, nipaluna / Hobart, Tasmania, Australia