Amy Dickson Wins A Classical Brit Award

Hot on the heels of her nomination for a 2013 ARIA Fine Arts Award, saxophonist Amy Dickson has won a Classical Brit Award, becoming the first Australian to win one of these coveted prizes.

At the sumptuous awards ceremony held at London’s Royal Albert Hall this week Dickson was given the award for Best Breakthrough Artist for her new album Dusk & Dawn. She also took the stage to perform Mark Knoprfler’s Going Home, featurd on the album. Other guest artists were piano luminaries Lang Lang and Ludovico Einaudi. 

“I was so honoured and surprised to receive the award, I was up against some really amazing performers”, says Amy, “the whole night was incredible, not only winning the award, but to be the first Australian performer to do so…  I’m so thrilled. The album is a beautiful mix of music from all genres, from Chopin to Tom Waits! We have pulled it all together by emulating the beautiful sound world of 50’s/60’s film scores, with all their gorgeous shimmering strings, which is one of my favourite eras” says Amy who is now based in London.

Dusk & Dawn, rose to No. 1 on the UK Classical Charts and is to be released in Australia  on October 18th.

Born in Sydney, Amy moved to London in her late teens and studied at the Royal College of Music. She picked up her first saxophone when she was six. Amy was soon winning competitions and performing; she made her live radio debut aged eight and her concerto debut at 16.

As a soloist with the world’s finest orchestras she has firmly established the saxophone’s classical credentials. She has performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, at the Vienna Konzerthaus and Sydney Opera House as well as performing chamber music in venues which include Wigmore Hall and Bridgewater Hall.

A champion of contemporary music, Amy has commissioned and premiered works by composers who include Peter Sculthorpe and Ross Edwards.  She also arranges repertoire for the saxophone, perhaps most notably the Philip Glass Violin Concerto which she recorded together with works by Michael Nyman and John Tavener with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Mikel Toms for Sony Music.

Amy Dickson is an ambassador of the Prince’s Trust and the Australian Children’s Music Foundation.

Read From Cadenzas to Riffs our review of Amy Dickson’s 3 rd solo album Catch Me if You Can.