Mess in Conversation: Suzanne Ciani

Across five decades of sonic exploration, Suzanne Ciani has continually reshaped how we hear and feel sound.

From her early days studying composition at UC Berkeley and working alongside luminaries such as Don Buchla, Ciani carved out a singular path across a predominantly male landscape. Her work moves effortlessly between worlds – spanning iconic sound design, like Coca-Cola’s unmistakable pop-and-pour and the voice of Bally’s Xenon pinball machine, to landmark neo-classical and ambient records such as Seven Waves and The Velocity of Love.

In recent years, her celebrated live Quadraphonic performances have reignited global fascination with the expressive potential of the Buchla modular synthesiser and her own creative excellence.

Join Suzanne as she discusses her lifelong relationship with sound alongside Prudence Rees-Lee and the community.

The Mess in Conversation series is supported by the City of Melbourne Multiyear Arts Grants.