The first in our Strings and Voices Series at Hawthorn Arts Centre in August, this performance features one of Australia’s most acclaimed and respected singer/songwriters, backed by a string quartet. Together they present an intimate concert of songs drawn from Lior's extensive back catalogue of recordings. This is a chance to hear his work in a setting that harkens back to the tradition of salon concerts, where audience and performer share an evening shaped by closeness, nuance and connection. Lior burst on to the Australian music scene in 2005 with his acclaimed debut album Autumn Flow. Recorded and released entirely independently, with popular songs ‘This Old Love’, ‘Daniel’ and ‘Autumn Flow’, the album became one of the most successful independent debuts in Australian music history. A host of accolades followed, including 3 Aria nominations - among them Best Male Artist and a nomination for Triple J’s prestigious Album of the Year. Subsequent releases Corner of an Endless Road (2008) and Tumbling into the Dawn (2010) were also major successes. They reached number 2 on the Australian Albums chart, topping the independent charts for several weeks. And earned Lior a further 3 Aria nominations. Lior has earned a reputation as one of Australia’s finest live performers renowned for his dynamic and moving performances. He represents a rare breed of artists to achieve sustained critical acclaim and commercial success, while maintaining a strong sense of independence and individuality in his craft. Xani is opening for Lior. Xani Kolac is a virtuosic shapeshifter of the violin leaping between genres with the instincts of an improvisor and the heart of a songwriter. A devout atheist but fierce believer in music, Xani has written a suite of hymns (for atheists). Tender, transcendent odes to humankind, feminism, animals, the planet and love itself, these are hymns without gods. For this special performance of Hymns for Atheists, Xani will be joined by her sister Meg Kolac on bass for a set that’s raw, reverent and gloriously human.