10 minutes with duo histoire

Music in the Regions recently sat down with Duo Histoire’s celebrated saxophonist Nick Russoniello to find out more about his musical partnership with classical guitarist Murilo Tanouye, touring regional NSW and why he chose to take up the saxophone.

What first got you into classical music?

I started off by playing a lot of jazz and pop music but when I got to high school I changed saxophone teachers. My new teacher introduced me to Bach and let me join the local orchestra to play oboe parts on soprano saxophone. It was such a fantastic experience and I’ve been hooked ever since.  

Why did you choose the saxophone?

I simply thought it was cool. I was mostly inspired by Hoots the Owl from Sesame Street. The saxophone just seemed like the epitome of coolness, and I think that’s because of him.

Where did you meet Murilo and how was Duo Histoire established?

Murilo and I were students together at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. We completed our final year in 2006 and were in the same honours class. I was looking for a guitarist to perform Astor Piazzolla’s Histoire Du Tango Suite for my final recital and I managed to talk Murilo into trying it out with me. That’s how Duo Histoire was born, and also how we got our name.

What music are you drawn to and typically perform as a duo?

Murilo and I tend to be attracted to things that are either extremely lyrical or extremely groovy, or both! One of the best things about the Duo is that we can cover a lot of different musical ground. Saxophone and guitar are not the most obvious of classical musical instruments, and there is no standard repertoire for us, so we have been free to choose our own adventures.

We started by playing a lot of tango, but we have been constantly adding new things to the repertoire. We play a lot of twentieth century French and Spanish music, and we love working on new things by Australian composers. Murilo was born in Brazil, so we’re now also doing some Brazilian things. 

Where have you drawn most of your inspiration from for the Songs of the Cities music program? What can audiences on this tour look forward to? 

We like to think of this program as a musical tour for the audience. We have music from Paris, Buenos Aires, San Paulo, Los Angeles, Melbourne and, of course, Sydney. It’s a really diverse program. There are not many other duos like ours, in fact almost none! The combination of saxophone and classical guitar is very rare and over the past 17 years of working together we’ve developed our own unique sound. We like to put our own stamp on music from all over the world.

Have you toured regional NSW before and, if so, what do you love about touring outside of the city? 

Yes, we’ve done lots of regional touring over the years. Some of our first gigs were actually in regional towns. I remember playing in Coonabarabran just a few months after we finished at the Sydney Conservatorium. We love getting out of Sydney. We find regional audiences are often warm and open to new things. There seems to be a real passion for live music in regional N.SW. Murilo and I also love a road trip, we’re always happy to spend hours in the car blaring quite obscure music on the way to a gig.

Will you be visiting any new towns this tour you haven’t yet been to?

We’ve never played in most of the towns on this tour. I’ve played in Cootamundra, but never in Moruya, Bungendore, Gunning, Temora or West Wyalong. Most touring groups only visit the larger regional centres (for example Orange, Tamworth, Wagga etc.). This is going to be quite an adventure and I’m looking forward to visiting these new places. I find that that some of the small NSW towns have a lot of personality. It’s a thrill to bring tango and new Australian music to remote and small places.

Are you excited to perform in front of a more intimate audience in comparison to some bigger audiences you have played for? 

Yes, I prefer small and intimate concerts, especially with Duo Histoire. Chamber music is supposed to be played in a small chamber, a living room, not a concert hall. It feels so much more personal in a space the right size. Also, in a small space we can speak to the audience and it feels like a genuine conversation. When you’re playing in a small space it feels like the audience are with you on every note. It’s the best way to experience a group like ours.

Why are regional audiences so important for the Australian classical music scene?

Australian made music is for everyone, in all parts of Australia. The more people we can share it with the better.

What are your thoughts on the importance of the Music in the Regions initiative to share these world class cultural experiences with regional NSW audiences?

Not many music organisations are getting to the smaller towns out there.  As I mentioned, I’ve toured a lot but it is always to the larger regional centres. I really believe in the value of live music. There is no substitute for live performance, you have to be in the room to really feel it. Everyone should have access to live music, not just the people in cities or people that can get to cities. Music in the Regions is providing this access, this is just so special.

Do you have any other current projects that you are working on?

Yes, 2023 is a completely crazy year. I’m going straight from this tour to the Orange Chamber Music Festival to hear the premiere of a new concerto I composed for baritone saxophone and strings. I’m also currently writing a concerto to perform myself with the Metropoitan Orchestra in Sydney and another work for saxophone, loops pedals and strings to premiere with Steel City Strings in Wollongong. Somewhere this year I’m also supposed to visit New York as part of an Australia Council program. There are loads of other gigs in the mix too. I’m very happy to say that 2023 is all systems go.

What are Duo Histoire’s plans for the future?

We’re playing across the year and we’re going to start planning our next album. We haven’t released a new album for a few years, so I think it’s time. We’ll probably start planning it on this tour. I’d also love to get the Duo to Europe in the coming years, we’re looking at ways to make that happen.