Recital Centre keeping the cultural conversation vital, says new artist-in-residence

Words by Georgie Atkins & David Allen

Music is in the blood for Melbourne Recital Centre’s 2025 artist-in-residence Robin Fox.

An internationally acclaimed audio-visual artist, Mr Fox will bring his groundbreaking approach to electronic music and visual artistry to the Southbank venue, starting with his hit show TRIPTYCH in January.

Mr Fox told Southbank News he was “very flattered and very humbled” to accept the artist-in-residence role.

I think people get seduced by the laser aspect of my work and they tend to forget that primarily, I’m a composer and music is my first love so this is a real treat for me.

Robin’s work synchronises sound and visual electricity in hyper-amplified 3D space, creating a an immersive musical experience. 

“For me, music has always been an essential part of being alive,” Robin said.

“My mother was singing opera when I was in the womb, so I think I was predestined to have some fascination for sound.”

Robin has performed in more than 60 cities worldwide, including iconic venues like Lincoln Centre in New York and the Barbican Centre in London.

Robin has plenty in the works for his year ahead as MRC artistic director, including a suite of lectures in the MRC Salon, including one on the history of the Latrobe University Music Department.

His award-winning show TRIPTYCH will be presented at Elisabeth Murdoch Hall on January 30.

Described as “iconoclastic”, an “audio-visual space-time carving,” and “mechanical synaesthesia”, Robin says TRIPTYCH is designed to immerse audiences in the experience using the connection in their brain between sound and colour.

“It’s exciting to create something that surprises people, especially those who might not have ever listened to electronic compositions before,” he said.

“I’m really just honoured to be another part of that ongoing conversation with music.”

“Music is a conversation with culture, and I think the Recital Centre has such great diverse programming right across the spectrum and that’s what you have to do to make that conversation vital.”

Tickets for TRIPTYCH are available at the Melbourne Recital Centre website along with the Centre’s 2025 season and its full calendar of events. •