Biography: Ilmar Karuso (original) (raw)

Biography: Ilmar Karuso

Born in Sydney Australia

After finishing his diploma of fine arts at the “National Art School of Australia” worked extensively in film and television as a set constructor, art director and set designer.

Formed the influential multi-media performance group “Bring Philip”
His performances in Australia include all the major universities, and venues. Supporting performances include; “The Church”, “Killing Joke”, “The Go Betweens”, “The Triffids”, and Ed Cooper.

Festivals in Australia include “Sedition” and “Volition” where the group was the headline act.

In Tokyo he performed along with the singer ”Sade” at the prestigious “Ink Stick” night club. Performing with Japanese session musicians from, “Mute Beat”, and “Ice House”.

In the late Eighties he took the group to Berlin where they performed with “Crime and the City Solution”. Other performances include festivals such as the “Grenzgenger Festival, with “Laibach and “Tahj Mahjal” (not sure of spelling??????), the “Atonal Festival” with “Clock DVA” and “Test Department”. The band also represented Australia at the “Tuebingen Festival” along with the “Pecking Opera” from China.

His recordings appear on compilation albums with Nick Cave, “The Go Betweens”, and “The Scientists”.

In the early nineties he moved to New York to work as a photographer and installation artist, and to concentrate on his new theatre concepts and designs.

While living in New York he was invited to work with the Kirov Opera and Ballet (Mariinski Theatre) by Maestro Valery Gergiev. After completing the stage and lighting designs for the Stravinsky Ballet the “Rite of Spring” and the Prokofiev Opera “Love for three Oranges” he left the theatre to further develop his personal projects.

He now lives and works in St Petersburg Russia concentrating on his visual arts and music projects. Recent solo performances include the “Viljandi Folk Festival” in Tartu Estonia, and the “Mobile Blues Club” in Berlin Germany.

His central musical project the “Ilmar Karuso Band” is gathering momentum as it establishes itself in the independent music scene of St Petersburg. Its folk instrumentation and use of atmospheric polyrhythms gives the band a raw edge, reminiscent of early blues, while the groups original compositions are firmly grounded in a contemporary ballad style.

Bla bla bla ……………………..