Mix’t
Mix’t began as a Duo (Matt Styles and Pinto) under the guise of ‘Fused’ that was formed to highlight the ever-changing nature of Australian cross-genre music and whose music was featured in the Fremantle Arts Centre’s Soft, Soft, Loud series, and Perth International Arts Festival.
After returning from a coveted Churchill Fellowship in 2004, Matt was more inspired than ever to create performance projects that brought to the fore the growing musical partnerships formed between piano and saxophones through the work of Australian composers.
Performances in Perth and Melbourne led to a lecture-recital at the 2009 World Saxophone Congress (WSC), and in Scotland (WSC 2012), which then led the duo to expand to incorporate a larger sound world through percussion. Paul Tanner joined the group to form ‘Mix’t Trio’.
In 2014, Matt saw a ‘gap’ in the Australian musical landscape where there seemed little repertoire being performed for a small ensemble that brought together the disparate genres of Western classical, jazz, African, Latin-American and other improvised music. Following talks with ABC Classic FM, Matt won a grant from Edith Cowan University to “seek out, adapt, re-interpret, record, catalogue and publish Australian cross-genre works featuring the saxophone.”
The album Home by 11 was planned, rehearsed, performed and recorded between 2014 to 2016 and in 2017, joined the catalogue of one of Australia’s most reputable labels, Tall Poppies Records, and is available online.
Since then, the music of the trio has performed around Australia, Malaysia and China, the most prominent being an education, composing and performance residency in Shanghai.
It is hoped that this will act as a further ‘launch pad’ for performances, workshops, masterclasses and (perhaps most importantly), future collaborations with other Australian and international composers, institutions and commercial representatives.
Mix’t has taken their time in the planning for their next album which will feature music by such composers as Kathy Potter, Holly Harrison, Roger Smalley, Paul Tanner, James Ledger, Tom O’Halloran and Callum O’Reilly – all who have (or have had) strong connections to Western Australia.
Mementi by James Ledger has undertaken a ‘proof of concept’ recording which will be re-recorded as part of the larger album with plans to tour this and all their new work across Southeast Asia and Australia and with their current and increasing connections.
Matt Styles, Saxophone
One of the truly versatile saxophonists in Australia, Matt can seamlessly traverse jazz, classical, funk, avant-garde as a performer, educator, arranger, composer and musical director.
Describing himself as a performing educator, this artist has inspired audiences and students in the UK, Asia and Australia. Matt has performed with such jazz and commercial artists as Ben Folds, Diana Ross, Dave Weckl, Paul Grabowsky, Tim Minchin, Olivia Newton-John and The Manhattan Transfer. Having performed at the Villa Cellimontana (Rome) and Ninegates (Beijing) International Jazz Festivals, Matt also appears on numerous jazz, classical and cross-genre recordings and released an album of Australian cross-genre works with Mix’t Trio on Tall Poppies Records entitled Home by 11.
On the classical side, the Malaysian Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, Western Australian Symphony, Tasmanian Symphony, Perth Symphony and Orchestra’s have also utilised Matt as their principal saxophonist. Every year since 1997, Matt has given Australian or world premiere performances of classical and ‘cross-genre’ works specifically arranged or composed for him in his capacity as a unique soloist and improviser, including giving the Australian premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Hidden Love Song as soloist with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra. Seasons of Life is a four-movement cross-genre concerto for soprano saxophone and wind orchestra written for Matt by Glyn MacDonald which received its world premiere on August 31st and released in December 2019. Recently he began composing works for the saxophone, which are published by Astute Music UK.
Following post-graduate studies at the Royal College of Music, London, he went on to receive a coveted Churchill Fellowship enabling him to study with Dr Otis Murphy, Dr Tom Walsh, Bob Berg and Dr Eugene Rousseau. He received his Doctorate in the interpretation, pedagogy and performance of classical, jazz and multi-genre or ‘cross-over’ works. In August 2024, Matt gave the world premiere of the Concerto for Saxophone – written for him by Holly Harrison with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra – a kaleidoscope of classical, funk, punk, rock and jazz.
Finally, with over 30 years’ experience teaching at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, Matthew has established himself as a prominent figure in music education, being able to communicate musical meaning to musicians and music enthusiasts and supporters of all ages and stages. Dr Matt Styles is a Henri Semer Paris Artist, D’Aaddrio Woodwinds Artist and a JLV Sound Ambassador.
Adam Pinto, Piano and keyboards
Adam Pinto is Chair of Keyboard Studies in the Conservatorium of Music at the University of Western Australia. He performs with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra, and records regularly for broadcast by the A.B.C. Recent creative projects include Eight Nocturnes for Viola and Piano recorded with Katherine Potter and available through ABC Classics, and involve collaboration with Australia’s leading composers. In Memoriam was released in 2023 through Tall Poppies and reviewed as “a testament to the power of collaboration between highly inventive composers and virtuosic free-improvising performers. Adam Pinto’s pianism is exceptional in all the traditionally notated music scores, but in Rebecca Erin Smith’s piece he also demonstrates a brilliant flare for improvised musical invention.”
Adam is a sought-after soloist and collaborative artist, working with local and international soloists at instrumental festivals worldwide. He collaborates with Paul Tanner and Matt Styles in Mix’t, exploring the boundaries of cross-genre compositions. Their first disc Home by 11 is available through Tall Poppies.
His interest in the development of innovative new music and collaborative improvisational and compositional practices has seen him collaborate and premiere works by many Australian composers and perform in New Music Festivals internationally. In Rompduo with saxophonist Barry Cockcroft, this included the commissioning, premiere and recording of many significant works for the combination, both in Australia and internationally. This was a partnership which transformed the Australian musical landscape for both instruments.
This passion includes post-doctoral research at the University of Western Australia exploring and performing the works of Roger Smalley OAM. Performances reviewed as “stunningly virtuoso” by Neville Cohn. A CD featuring the works of Smalley entitled Transformation is available through Tall Poppies and has been reviewed as “a beautifully recorded collection of works, consummately performed and of considerable historical significance” in Limelight.
Paul Tanner, Percussion
Chair of Percussion at the Conservatorium of Music, University of Western Australia, Paul Tanner is the Principal Percussionist of the Perth Symphony Orchestra and plays frequently with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. He performs in a variety of musical situations, including solo performances, new-music ensembles, jazz combos, Latin bands, world-music groups and other freelance ensembles. Whilst completing his Masters Degree, Paul studied with new-music guru, Steven Schick in San Diego, before travelling through Central and South America to gain insight into other percussive music traditions. Furthering his interest in other musical cultures, he has travelled through West Africa and Zimbabwe.
Paul completed his PhD at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Edith Cowan University), examining and creating repertoire for one player performing marimba and vibraphone simultaneously.
Paul has performed throughout Australia and South-East Asia for Musica Viva; in Australia and the UK with OgdenTanner; with diverse groups at the Adelaide, Sydney, and Perth International Arts Festivals; at Darwin’s Bougainvillea and International Guitar Festivals; and recently toured the east coast of Australia with New York’s Bang on a Can All-Stars.
Recital by Mix’t
Friday, 30 May 2025, 9pm – 9:30pm
Lee Foundation Theatre
James Ledger: Mementi
Johanne Luebbers: Without Fear of Wind or Vertigo
Paul Tanner: Djenne
Adam Caird: Rung
Mix’t
Matt Styles, Saxophone
Adam Pinto, Piano
Paul Tanner, Percussion