Live, Actually with The Idea of North

Soprano: EMMA Rule

Alto: NAOMI Crellin

Tenor: NICK Begbie

Bass: LUKE Thompson

Vocal Percussion: KAI Kitamura

The Idea of North is a quintet of musicians, serious about their music without taking themselves too seriously. Its members, alumni of Australia’s top music institutions—the Elder Conservatorium at Adelaide University, the Victorian College of the Arts, and the Canberra School of Music affiliated with ANU—began as university friends pursuing music as a hobby. They recognised its potential early on and transitioned to full-time status in 1998.

TION has earned a formidable reputation both domestically and internationally and has been described by James Morrison as ‘the best contemporary vocal quartet in Australia’. TION frequently collaborates with Morrison and Don Burrows on recordings, alongside artists such as Lior, Kristin Berardi, Rajaton (Finland) and Elena Kats-Chernin. The group has gained acclaim overseas, touring extensively for festivals, concerts, workshops and corporate events in the USA, Europe and Asia. They have graced prestigious venues such as The Lincoln Centre in New York, the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, sharing stages with vocal group greats such as The Manhattan Transfer, Take 6, Naturally 7, and The Real Group (Sweden).

In 2003, TION achieved a historical win at The Harmony Sweepstakes in the USA, the first non-US ensemble to do so in the competition’s 20-year history. This accolade is one of many they’ve garnered for performing, composition, arrangement and recording. They have produced 14 albums, with their seventh, a collaboration with James Morrison, earning the 2010 ARIA award for Best Jazz Album. Their eighth was nominated for the same award and won the Limelight Best Jazz Album award, while their tenth secured the 2013 ARIA award in the same category. In 2014, they were inducted into the ACT Hall of Fame. In 2015, the group met and fell musically in love with Kaichiro Kitamura, vocal percussionist extraordinaire from Japan. Thus, the group made the leap to expand to a quintet formation. Since then, they have enjoyed a significant rise in popularity and a broader audience, with Kai’s remarkable talents adding a thrilling new dimension to the group’s sound.