The Piano Mill

The Piano Mill The Piano Mill is a unique hybrid building and mega-instrument in the forest in Willson's Downfall. Learn more here: https://www.harriganslanecolab.com.au/

Nestled in the forest at Harrigans Lane, between Stanthorpe and Tenterfield, The Piano Mill is a unique architectural feature, an homage to the musical history of outback Australia, and an outrageous musical instrument all in one. A square structure clad in copper, it's designed by architect Bruce Wolfe (former managing director of Conrad Gargett) and is purpose-built to house sixteen pianos - eight at ground level and eight on the "mezzanine." The walls consist of large-scale louvers, which can be opened and shut to alter the Mill's acoustic. Sixteen pianos were sourced from the Brisbane, Stanthorpe and Toowoomba areas, twelve of them already collected. Many are quite serviceable, and even reasonably in tune, while a few are more dilapidated, with wonky keys and bung notes. Wolfe's concept is that the pianos be kept in the original, "found" state, to evoke the weathered sound of the outback. To launch The Piano Mill, composer Erik Griswold (Clocked Out) created a new concert-length work, exploring the unprecedented sound potential of this new mega-instrument. Incorporating mass sound textures, nature-inspired soundscapes, and bits of nostalgic Australiana, Griswold extends his large body of piano and environmental works to new frontiers. On Easter 2016, 16 pianists from the local area, interstate, and overseas, were invited to help bring to life this one-of-a-kind, living slice of Australian musical history. Interarts Easter events continue to be a focus of the Mill’s performance schedule.

As promised! More to come in Spring!Are you coming?Ephemeral Soundscapes: Three traditions. One shared landscape.Caoimhe...
26/09/2026

As promised! More to come in Spring!
Are you coming?

Ephemeral Soundscapes: Three traditions. One shared landscape.

Caoimhe Collins, Emily Tulloch
& Maryam Rahmani bring their Harrigans Lane CoLab residency to a close with an intimate concert celebrating music, poetry and place.

Working on Kaurna Country since 2024, the trio have woven together art music, Persian classical and Irish folk traditions through improvisation, listening and a deep connection to the natural world.

Three distinct musical voices — cello, violin, santur plus voice, come together to create original music shaped by place, tradition and the possibilities of improvisation.

Please join us for an intimate afternoon of music that celebrates connections between three deep-rooted traditions.

17 October | 3:00 pm AEST�Lagavulin at the Piano Mill
�🎟️ Bookings https://events.humanitix.com/ephemeral-soundscapes-with-santur-violin-cello-and-voices

It is with regret that we must cancel the Helcarax concert due to unforeseen circumstances. Apologies! We hope we can ho...
23/09/2026

It is with regret that we must cancel the Helcarax concert due to unforeseen circumstances.
Apologies! We hope we can host Alex and Finn’s concert another time as they continue to work on the Helcarax project.

If you are not aware, Alex is the artistic director of the Brisbane Music Festival. Check out their program for upcoming concerts Alex Raineri - Pianist, Composer, Producer Brisbane Music Festival

Meanwhile, stay tuned to our concert calendar. We have more concerts coming up in Spring!

HELCARAX in 2 weeks! Are you coming?Helcarax is the experimental music duo of Alex Raineri (keyboard) and Finn Idris (vi...
19/09/2026

HELCARAX in 2 weeks! Are you coming?

Helcarax is the experimental music duo of Alex Raineri (keyboard) and Finn Idris (violins). Weaving immersive live electronics through their original compositions, Alex and Finn will draw you into a rich tapestry of sound, coming from many inspiration sources. Their friendship stretches back to when they were kids playing in chamber ensembles together. In this project, they have reconnected “sparked by a shared curiosity for performer-composer potential”.

This concert is a development of the work originally created in the Blue Mountains during their Mount Wilson Artist Residency in 2025. They describe Helcarax as a collaborative composition that brings together the disparate dimensions of both of their diverse careers.

Reshaped for this performance in our intimate concert hall setting, you will find it intriguing.

About the Artists

Alex Raineri is the recipient of this year’s state and territory Luminary award for Queensland in the Australian APRA-AMCOS Art Music awards. The award is for his work as an extraordinary musician, director, and creator, and for providing performance and creative opportunities through the Brisbane Music Festival.

Alex has been a regular performer at our Piano Mill events and we are thrilled that this award recognises his contribution to Australia’s Art Music community.

Alex is joined by Finn Idris, a Melbourne-based composer, violinist, electronic producer, and multi-instrumentalist whose work spans experimental IDM, electro-acoustic composition, and immersive audiovisual performance. With a unique blend of classical training and contemporary production techniques, Finn will delight your ears.

In fact, the whole concert will delight your ears!

Bookings! https://events.humanitix.com/helcarax

We have a fabulous lineup of intimate Lagavulin concerts this Spring!  Each one is special for a reason! Head to our we...
12/09/2026

We have a fabulous lineup of intimate Lagavulin concerts this Spring!  Each one is special for a reason! Head to our website for more information.

https://www.harriganslanecolab.com.au/upcoming-events

Don’t miss booking for the first one on October 3, HELCARAX with Alex Raineri and Finn Idriss.

11/09/2026

NEWS! Are you interested in a residency with Harrigans Lane CoLab? Applications for our 2027 program open on October 2!

Harrigans Lane CoLab is offering 4 artist-in-residence places in 2027. We welcome enthusiastic, curious, and adventurous people with a passion for Place-inspired investigation into making, composing, and/or studying the unique environment that our property and its facilities provide. The property is registered with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust and offers forest walking tracks for observing the flora and fauna.

This residency program is open to individuals or collaborations in small groups of 2 or 3 who wish to draw inspiration from this unique environment and utilise a performance venue, workshop and other facilities to enable their work and further their creative practice. We require a proposal of 250 words (maximum) that outlines the intention of the work to be done during the residency and how it aligns with the HLC mission.

Check out our website under Associate Artists for more information 🍃

Excellent news!
04/09/2026

Excellent news!

9 track album

25/08/2026
25/08/2026

Last Saturday’s concert. What a privilege it was to host this brilliant show. Congratulations Sonya Lifschitz and Christine!

24/06/2026

New ideas emerged out of the creative development weekend. So exciting!
But all these possibilities require new ideas about funding. Sad but true.

Address

323 Harrigans Lane
Tenterfield, NSW
2372

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