Cuarteto Imaginario

CUARTETO IMAGINARIO

Duncan Haynes' Cuarteto Imaginario project synthesises jazz, chamber music, folkloric musics of South America, and poetry. The name is inspired by El Hombre Imaginario written by the great Chilean poet Nicanor Parra.

The music of Cuarteto Imaginario draws inspiration from Argentina, Brasil, Uruguay, Perú and Colombia as well as art song and jazz improvisation. These rhythms and textures are explored through an exciting and moving repertoire of original compositions and inventive arrangements, and a group aesthetic charged with individual musical firepower. Our keywords are tradición, creatividad y sabor!

Cuarteto Imaginario is comprised of Duncan Haynes (piano, composer, arranger), Mark Bobb (voice), Christopher Hill (guitar) and Lance Philip (percussion).

Next performance: 05/09/24 for Wellington Jazz Cooperative at Cavern Club, Wellington. Buy tickets at Eventfinda and share the event on Facebook.

El Hombre Imaginario - Nicanor Parra

El hombre imaginario
vive en una mansión imaginaria
rodeada de árboles imaginarios
a la orilla de un río imaginario

De los muros que son imaginarios
penden antiguos cuadros imaginarios
irreparables grietas imaginarias
que representan hechos imaginarios
ocurridos en mundos imaginarios
en lugares y tiempos imaginarios

Todas las tardes tardes imaginarias
sube las escaleras imaginarias
y se asoma al balcón imaginario
a mirar el paisaje imaginario
que consiste en un valle imaginario
circundado de cerros imaginarios

Sombras imaginarias
vienen por el camino imaginario
entonando canciones imaginarias
a la muerte del sol imaginario

Y en las noches de luna imaginaria
sueña con la mujer imaginaria
que le brindó su amor imaginario
vuelve a sentir ese mismo dolor
ese mismo placer imaginario
y vuelve a palpitar
el corazón del hombre imaginario

DUNCAN HAYNES

Winner of the National Secondary School Chamber Music Competition performing the Bartok Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, Duncan completed a jazz piano performance degree at Massey University. He also worked with Bic Runga on the multi-platinum selling albums Drive and Beautiful Collision.

A 20 year musical odyssey overseas saw him collaborate with a wide range of top musicians in genres as varied as salsa, rock, blues and avant-garde jazz. He has performed at iconic venues such as Ronnie Scotts, Wembley Stadium and Lords, and at jazz festivals in Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Ireland, and at the legendary Bestival on the Isle of Wight. After 8 years in London Duncan spent 4 years in Peru where he performed with world-class artists Susana Baca, Eva Ayllon, Jorge Pardo and Andres Prado, as well as teaching at university, writing a book on practising music, and founding and directing a youth orchestra.

After moving to Paris in 2014 he established the first iteration of Cuarteto Imaginario. Since returning to NZ in late 2020 he has completed a critically acclaimed South Island tour, founded the Directions in Jazz project to bring improvised music to a wider community, completed an Honours degree in classical composition (winning the 2022 Lilburn Trust prize for composition), and has recently finished a Masters degree in ethnomusicology.

MARK BOBB

Mark trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London obtaining a performance diploma, AGSM and teaching diploma. Prior to that he obtained a degree in Performance Arts at Middlesex University, UK. He has sung with Opera North in the UK as well as numerous smaller companies and has toured extensively in the UK, Europe and the far East.

Mark sings regularly with NZ Opera, NZ a capella group 'number eight choir', with Baroque ensemble The Queen's Closet and with Voices NZ. He is also a jazz singer and violinist. He conducts two choirs and the Wellington Late Starters Orchestra, and is the musical director at Rata Studios School of Music.

CHRISTOPHER HILL

Christopher completed an honours degree in classical guitar in 2001 at Victoria University studying under Bill Bower. He then travelled to Spain to study flamenco guitar and while there he also gave performances in Italy and Portugal. Christopher has toured on behalf of Chamber Music NZ with the Wellington Guitar Duo and is a founding member of the acclaimed NZ Guitar Quartet. He currently performs as a classical & flamenco guitarist and all-round versatile studio musician.

LANCE PHILIP

Lance’s experience spans classical performance (NZSO, Orchestra Wellington), musical theatre (Les Miserables, Mamma Mia!), TV shows (five years on TVNZ's Dancing with the Stars), big bands (Rodger Fox, RNZAF Big Band, NZYJO), contemporary fusion (Paralax, C for Cats, Funkbone Experience), R&B (Soul Estate, Slide) and Latin ensembles (Kevin Clark, Carlos Navae).

Having been with NZSM's Jazz programme staff since 1993 Lance has taught many of New Zealand’s most prominent drummers. He has been involved in six recordings that have won the Tui award for “Best jazz album of the year”.