PHOENIX CENTRAL PARK
LIVE AT PHOENIX
SIMON SVOBODA / ‘HALLA’

Finnish-Australian cellist and singer Simon Svoboda performs “Halla” in our latest Live at Phoenix film, directed by Max Hemmings.

Bridging his love of contemporary songwriting with melodic ideas reminiscent of Baroque and early-modern periods, Svoboda layers intricate arpeggiation with exquisite vocalisations. Meanwhile, Hemmings’ camera seems to fracture his body into cubist fragments, evoking a powerful sense of the tension and relief felt during the depths of a Finnish winter.

Svoboda performs on a 19th-century Venetian cello once owned by his grandfather.


Director: Max Hemmings
Live at Phoenix Producers: Soie An, Angus Hunt, Josh Milch
Cinematographer: Jack Saltmiras
Editors: Max Hemmings & Andrea Chen
Executive Producer: Judith Neilson AM