ALEX PERTOUT

Chilean born Alex Pertout has for decades being recognised as one of Australia's leading percussionists and with credits on hundreds of albums and soundtracks is undeniably one of Australia's most recorded musicians. Alex has also attained credits with television orchestras, in countless live performances, in the theatre, as a recording artist and record producer as well as a respected educator. “A musician’s musician, this Chilean born percussionist must have made an impact on everyone at some time or other through his extensive performances on record, stage and screen.” - The Age.

As a founding member of the Australian Art Orchestra led by Paul Grabowsky he has toured Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania, has performed as a soloist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, has recording, performance and television orchestra credits with an array of artists including Powderfinger, Badi Assad, Shane Howard, James Morrison, Paul Kelly, Casiopea, Jackson Browne, Little River Band w/John Farnham, Archie Roach, Hunters & Collectors, Daryl Braithwaite, Goanna, Tony Gould, Dave Valentin, Tina Arena, Kate Ceberano, Tom E Lewis and Brian Brown among many others and was a featured percussionist in The Lion King theatre production.

Alex has produced albums as a multi-instrumentalist/composer, is the author of Sight Reading: The Rhythm Book released worldwide by US publishers Mel Bay, is a regular contributor to Drumscene magazine and is endorsed internationally by Meinl percussion, Sabian cymbals and Vater sticks. Alex graduated with High Distinction from the VCA, holds an MPhil from the ANU and is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Jazz & Improvisation at the Faculty of VCA and MCM, University of Melbourne.

His project Alex & Nilusha with vocalist, composer Nilusha Dassenaike made authentic and contemporary world sounds created in Australia informed by many locations around the globe including their own Latin American and South Asian roots. Their debut recording 'Moments In Time' and later release 'Tales To Tell' brought together a stellar cast of Australia’s most distinctive creative performers as well as guest appearances by leading international artists to participate in their vision, including legendary US jazz guitarist Mike Stern, Puerto Rican Latin-jazz flautist Dave Valentin, pianists Paul Grabowsky, Joe Chindamo, Tony Gould and Luke Howard, trumpeter Miroslav Bukovsky, guitarist Leonard Grigoryan and drummer David Jones among others.

‘Moments In Time’ received critical acclaimed, was ABC Jazz 'Album of the Week' and was also voted ABC Jazz Notes 'Top 5 Australian Releases of 2012'. Consequently the project was invited to present its music in concert and festivals nationally and internationally including at the Mosaic Music Festival Singapore, The Salon at Melbourne Recital Centre, Capital Jazz Project Festival Canberra, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Stonnington Jazz Festival, Brunswick Music Festival, Australia's Ultimate Drummer's Weekend, The Famous Spiegeltent, Melba Hall, The Music Show, ABC Radio National and Camberwell Music Society among others to great acclaim.

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