Winners announced for the 2012 Art Music Awards
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
A diverse group of creative composers and performers in the fields of contemporary art music, jazz and experimental music have tonight been named as winners of the 2012 Art Music Awards, proudly presented by APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) and the AMC (Australian Music Centre).
The gala event held at the Playhouse, Sydney Opera House has honoured winners across ten national categories and seven State Awards spanning performance, composition, outstanding contributions to Australian music by individuals and organisations, music education and regional music. An additional award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music, as determined by the Board of Directors of APRA and the AMC, was also presented.
With a career in music that has spanned three decades, composer NIGEL WESTLAKE (with text by John Weiley, Hannie Rayson and Michael Cathcart) has received the award for Orchestral Work of the Year for the profoundly emotional Missa Solis – Requiem for Eli. It has been named a significant and accomplished work and an extraordinary achievement by Nigel.
In the category of Instrumental Work of the Year, composer BRETT DEAN has received the award for his evocative and skillfully crafted Sextet, which was hailed by Britain’s Daily Telegraph as “a masterly achievement”. Having received rave reviews from critics around the world, Sextet is considered by the awards panel to be a major work by a composer at the height of his career.
CLARE MACLEAN has taken out the Choral/Vocal Work of the Year Award for her elegant Osanna Mass. With her deft touch in the setting of the text, judges have praised the wonderful connectedness throughout this substantial work by Clare.
The winner in the category of Jazz Work of the Year is acclaimed jazz pianist and composer ANDREA KELLER for Affectations. With its sense of exploration, which keeps the listener curious and looking for more, Andrea has used many different elements in interesting ways with the composed and performed elements beautifully integrated.
The Performance of the Year has been awarded to the WEST AUSTRALIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA for its performance of James Ledger’s Two Memorials for Anton Webern and John Lennon. This focused, precise and committed performance builds on a longstanding artistic partnership between the orchestra and composer, and the relationship has resulted in one of Ledger’s strongest scores.
CLAIRE EDWARDES has received the Award for Excellence by an Organisation or an Individual for her Flash: Marimba Miniatures recording project. A star in the international percussion scene, Claire continues to be a wonderful advocate for Australian classical contemporary music. Her charming compilation of miniatures for the marimba was inspired by her two young daughters and her formative musical years as a pianist.
The wonderful GONDWANA CHOIRS has taken out the Award for Excellence in Music Education for its 2011 program. These young ambassadors of Australian song continue to impress with their unique repertoire of choral works. Another youth choir, the MOORAMBILLA VOICES has won the Award for Excellence in a Regional Area for its engagement with local community in North Western NSW. Providing children from regional and remote communities the opportunity to participate in high-level music making and artistic pursuits, the Moorambilla Voices offers talented young singers the chance to experience choral music making with leading professional musicians and composers.
Sound installation specialists MADELEINE FLYNN and TIM HUMPHREY have received the Award for Excellence in Experimental Music for their work during 2011 The duo construct sound and music projects across a wide range of performance and installation contexts. Together since 1993, they are endlessly curious about sound and music in space, and culture and create both large scale and intimate works.
The winner of the brand new category Award for Excellence in Jazz (for works, people and events) is QUENTIN ANGUS, who has been recognised for his composition, performance and international development activities. The multi-award winning Australian jazz guitarist is already building an international reputation with his brilliant compositional work that is both personal and adventurous.
As previously announced, the Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music was presented to composer PETER SCULTHORPE, who was honoured at the event for his phenomenal contribution to Australian music.
In addition to the national Awards above, committees in each state and territory selected the winners of seven State Awards. The State Awards recognise local artists and composers in one of the ten national categories.
The winners of these state categories are:
In TASMANIA, the NICK HAYWOOD QUARTET was acknowledged in the brand new category Award for Excellence in Jazz. In VICTORIA the recipient of the State Award in the category of Award for Excellence by an Organisation or an Individual was SPEAK PERCUSSION for their 2011 Annual Program.
LAWRENCE ENGLISH received the QUEENSLAND State Award for his contributions to experimental electronic music in 2011. The NEW SOUTH WALES State Award goes to ZUBIN KANGA for his performance of Uncanny Valley (composed by Nicholas Vines) in the Performance of the Year category.
The SOUTH AUSTRALIAN State Award went to the ZEPHYR STRING QUARTET AND GRETA BRADMAN for their performance of Sea Chronicles (composed by Paul Stanhope) in the Performance of the Year category. TAMARA ANNA CISLOWSKA, LARA ST. JOHN, DANISH STRING QUARTET, JUSTIN BULLOCK & ANDREAS BORREGAARD received the State Award in the ACT for their performance of Torque (composed by Elena Kats-Chernin), also in the Performance of the Year category.
And finally JAMES LEDGER received the WEST AUSTRALIAN State Award in the category of Orchestral Work of the Year for his brilliant composition Two Memorials for Anton Webern and John Lennon.
APRA and the AMC would like to congratulate all the winners of the 2012 ART MUSIC AWARDS.
The 2012 ART MUSIC AWARDS were held at the Playhouse Theatre, Sydney Opera House and featured host James Morrison along with special guest presenters Prof. Margaret Barrett, Mike Nock, Marshall McGuire, Kirsty McCahon, Deborah Conway and Ross Edwards. The event featured special performances by the Australian String Quartet, Band of Brothers, Andrea Keller and Super Critical Mass.
Work of the Year: Instrumental
Title: Sextet
Composer: Brett Dean
Performed by: Australia Ensemble
Publishers: Boosey & Hawkes Inc, sub published by
Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd
Work of the Year: Orchestral
Title: Missa Solis – Requiem for Eli
Composer: Nigel Westlake
Text: John Weiley, Hannie Rayson and Michael Cathcart
Performed by: Sydney SymphonyNigel Westlake (Conductor)
Work of the Year: Vocal/Choral
Title: Osanna Mass
Composer: Clare Maclean
Performed by: Sydney Chamber Choir,
Paul Stanhope (Conductor)
Work of the Year: Jazz
Title: Affectations
Composer: Andrea Keller
Performed By: Bennetts Lane Big Band
Performance of the Year
Performer: West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Paul Daniel
Title: Two Memorials for Anton Webern and John Lennon
Composer: James Ledger
Award for Excellence by an Organisation or an Individual
Claire Edwardes – Flash: Marimba Miniatures recording project
Award for Excellence in Music Education
Gondwana Choirs - 2011 Program
Award for Excellence in a Regional Area
Moorambilla Voices - Engagement with local community in North Western NSW
Award for Excellence in Experimental Music
Madeleine Flynn and Tim Humphrey - 2011 Activities
Award for Excellence in Jazz
Quentin Angus - Composition, performance and international development
Distinguished Services To Australian Music
Peter Sculthorpe
STATE AWARDS
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY AWARD
Performer: Tamara Anna Cislowska, Lara St. John, Danish String Quartet, Justin Bullock & Andreas Borregaard
Title: Torque
Composer: Elena Kats-Chernin
Category: Performance of the Year
NEW SOUTH WALES STATE AWARD
Performer: Zubin Kanga
Title: Uncanny Valley
Composer: Nicholas Vines
Category: Performance of the Year
QUEENSLAND STATE AWARD
Lawrence English for Contributions to experimental electronic music in 2011 in Queensland
Category: Award for Excellence in Experimental Music
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN STATE AWARD
Performer: Zephyr String Quartet and Greta Bradman
Title: Sea Chronicles
Composer: Paul Stanhope
Category: Performance of the Year
TASMANIAN STATE AWARD
Nick Haywood Quartet
Category: Award for Excellence in Jazz
VICTORIAN STATE AWARD
Speak Percussion for 2011 Annual Program
Category: Award for Excellence by an Organisation or an Individual
WEST AUSTRALIAN STATE AWARD
Title: Two Memorials for Anton Webern and John Lennon
Composer: James Ledger
Category: Orchestral Work of the Year
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