Melbourne audiences will have an opportunity to re-discover Michael Nyman s cinematic music masterpieces when he performs one Melbourne concert only with his 11-piece band on Tuesday 28 July, returning to the Arts Centre stage for the first time in seven years.

As one of Britain's most innovative and acclaimed composers, Michael Nyman's work encompasses operas and string quartets, film soundtracks and concertos. His music systematically straddles generic boundaries, mobilising classical sounds within crisp, well-paced contemporary rhythms, splicing the tonalities of British baroque with those of present-day rock and pop.

Although he's far too modest to allow the description 'Renaissance Man', his restless creativity and multi-faceted art has made him one of the most fascinating and influential cultural identities of our times.

His cinematographic collaborations — a mind-boggling 75 scores in total — have propelled him to global fame. In 1993 the music he composed for Jane Campion s The Piano sold over three million copies.

Other notable collaborations on film include Peter Greenaway, (including The Draughtsman s Contract and The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover), Neil Jordan (The End of the Affair), Michael Winterbottom (including Wonderland), Laurence Dunmore (The Libertine), Andrew Niccol (Gattaca) and most recently James Marsh s Academy Award winning documentary, Man On Wire about the spectacular tight-rope crossing between the World Trade Centre s Twin Towers in 1974.

Originally assembled in 1976, the Michael Nyman Band has been the laboratory in which Nyman has built a compositional style around strong melodies and precise ensemble playing.

This concert will be an unmissable event for music and film lovers alike. The Michael Nyman Band will also be performing at The Sydney Opera House on Sunday 26 July.