upcoming tours

William barton and véronique serret heartland

The great didgeridoo virtuoso William Barton and powerhouse violinist Véronique Serret blend songlines and storytelling in Heartland, a compelling collaborative work that will tour the Darling and Sunraysia regions this June. Inspired by the poetry of William’s mother, Aunty Delmae Barton, the message of Heartland is one of peace and love carried by an eagle spirit.  

Supporting this tour is Music in the Regions, who, across their three years of operations have made a mark on regional NSW, successfully touring world class classical music from Nundle to Deniliquin; with this itinerary taking the company the furthest west yet. Stopping in Broken Hill, Robinvale, Balranald, and Mildura, this tour is at the core of Music in the Regions’ mission; to create greater cultural opportunities close to home, for the 3 million people living outside the metropolitan.  

Throughout Heartland, Barton and Serret welcome listeners into a unique soundscape, drawing on the power of connection to place. Violins, didgeridoo, and guitar are joined by soaring vocals, ethereal loops, and electronic effects in a distinct evocation of the Australian landscape.  

From its roots as a seven-minute commission for the 2019 Canberra International Music Festival, this extraordinary work has grown into an hour-long reimagined “chamber oratorio” exploration of Country, landscape, culture, language and identity. The program features the duo’s much-loved Kalkani (commissioned by the ABC), Didge Fusion and Heartland itself.