APRA AMCOS Australian Music Centre Reveal 2020 Art Music Award Finalists
APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre have announced the names of the finalists in the 2020 Art Music Awards.
The Art Music Awards are given annually, celebrating achievements in the fields of composition, performance, education and presentation of Australian art music. This year’s Awards are streaming as a virtual event, premiering on APRA AMCOS’ YouTube channel on Tuesday 8 September, 7:00pm AEST.
A record 278 nominations were received in 13 national categories,revealing the breadth of expression and creative vision present in the art music community today. This year’s list of finalists include emerging composers from all over the country with work beyond the large metropolitan centres, and outside the professional organisations.
A new category Work of the Year – Electroacoustic/Sound Art received a large number of nominations. The 2020 awards will also include numerous new Luminary Awards, recognising sustained contributions by individuals and organisations. There are no shortlists in these categories. The Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music, as determined by the APRA Board of Directors, will also be presented.
The finalists:
Work of the Year- Choral:
Title: A Civic Space/Composer: Julian Day/ Performer: Musicians from the Barossa region
Title: I am Martuwarra/Composer: Paul Stanhope, text by Steve Hawke/Performer: Gondwana Choirs, Luminescence Chamber Singers, Valla Voices,/Hunter Singers, and Resonance and Lyn Williams, conductor
Title: Requiem-Recomposed/Composer: Gordon Hamilton/Performer: Omega Ensemble and The Australian Voices/and Gordon Hamilton, conductor
Title: Singing the Love/Composer: Ross Edwards/Performer: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge/and Stephen Cleobury, conductor/
Work of the Year- Dramatic
Title: Ned Kelly/ Composer: Luke Styles, librettist Peter Goldsworthy/Performer: Lost and Found Opera and Chris van Tuinen, conductor/
Title: Oscar and Lucinda/Composer: Elliott Gyger, librettist Pierce Wilcox/Performer: Sydney Chamber Opera and Jack Symonds, conductor
Title: Out of Chaos /Composer: Ekrem Eli Phoenix /Performer: Gravity and Other Myths
Title: Speechless/Composer: Cat Hope/Performer: Judith Dodsworth, Karina Utomo, Tara Tiba, Sage Pbbbt (soloists),/Australian Bass Orchestra, Decibel New Music Ensemble and Aaron Wyatt, conductor
Work of the Year – Jazz
Title: Aventurine /Composer: Linda May Han Oh /Performer: Linda May Han Oh, Greg Ward, Matt Mitchell, Ches Smith,Fung Chern Hwei, Sara Caswell, Benni von Gutzeit,Jeremy Harman, Invenio with Gian Slater, director
Title: Displacement/Composer: Josh Kelly /Performer: Josh Kelly, Niran Dasika, Aviva Endean, Mary Rapp, Jacques Emery and Maria Moles
Title: The Colours of Grief /Composer: Adam Page /Performer: The Adam Page Ensemble
Title: Umi No Uzu/Composer: Aaron Choulai /Performer: Australian Art Orchestra, Aaron Choulai, Miyama McQueen-Tokita and Kojoe
Work of the Year – Large Ensemble
Title: Beatrice /Composer: Kate Moore /Performer: Vivian Choi, piano, Willoughby Symphony,and Fabian Russell, conductor
Title: Flinders and Trim/Composer: Maria Grenfell /Performer: Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and Eivind Aadland, conductor
Title: Icarus/Composer: Harry Sdraulig /Performer: Lloyd Hudson, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and Elena Schwarz, conductor
Title: Viola Concerto/Composer: James Ledger/Performer: Brett Dean, West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Fabien Gabel, conductor
Work of the Year- Chamber Music
Title: Cleave/Composer: Natasha Anderson /Performer: Ensemble Offspring, International Contemporary Ensemble and Ensemble Adapter
Title: passing bells: day /Composer: Chris Dench/Performer: Alex Raineri
Title: String Quartet no. 3: Hidden Agendas/Composer: Brett Dean /Performer: Doric String Quartet
Title: Where The Quiet Rests /Composer: John Pax /Performer: WasteLAnd
Work of the Year- Electroacoustic/Sound Art/
Title: Coronal Mass /Composer: Amanda Cole with lead artist Michaela Gleave, programmer Warren Armstrong, sound engineer Bob Scott and scientists Martin Connors and Ian Schofield
Title: Diaspora/ Composer: Robin Fox and Erkki Veltheim in a Chamber Made Production /Performer: Robin Fox, Erkki Veltheim, Madeleine Flynn, Georgie Darvidis, Tamara Saulwick (co-direction/dramaturgy) and Nick Roux (video artist)
Title: Everywhen /Composer: Matthias Schack-Arnott/Performer: Matthias Schack-Arnott
Title: Imago/Composer: Fiona Hill /Performer: Lamorna Nightingale, Jane Sheldon and Fiona Hill
Performance of the Year – Jazz/Improvised Music
Performer: Australian Art Orchestra /Title: The Plains /Composer: Peter Knight
Performer: Joseph Franklin/Title: Amen /Composer: Joseph Franklin
Performer: Phil Slater Quintet/Title: The Cordeaux Mirror/Composer: Phil Slater
Performer: Sandy Evans, Shubha Mudgal, Aneesh Pradhan and Sirens Big Band/Title: Bridge of Dreams /Composer: Sandy Evans, Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan
Performance of the Year – Notated Composition
Performer: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Douglas Boyd, conductor/Title: Weave/Composer: Cathy Milliken
Performer: Louise Devenish /Title: ‘Sheets of Sound’/Composers: Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh, Matthias Schack-Arnott, Louise Devenish and Stuart James
Performer: Sydney Chamber Opera and Jack Symonds, conductor/Title: Oscar and Lucinda/Composer: Elliott Gyger, librettist Pierce Wilcox
Performer: Zubin Kanga /Title: Rhythm City/Composer: Tristan Coelho
Award for Excellence in Music Education: • Australian Art Orchestra for its Creative Music Intensive /• Netanela Mizrahi and Guwanbal Gurruwiwi for the Djari Project/ • Speak Percussion for Sounds Unheard Education Program/ • Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for the Australian Composers’ School
Award for Excellence in a Regional Area: • Bangalow Music Festival for its 2019 festival/• Gillian Howell and Tura New Music for the Fitzroy Valley New Music Project/• Netanela Mizrahi and Guwanbal Gurruwiwi for the Djari Project/• Rae Howell for Bee-Sharp Honeybee
Award for Excellence in Experimental Music: • Gelareh Pour for Garden Quartet /• The Music Box Project for Shallow Listening /• Nat Grant for FEED/ • Zubin Kanga for 2019 Performances of Ballast by Jon Rose
