Sydney Symphony Orchestra Launches ’50 Fanfares’ A Major Commissioning Project
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra has announed a major commissioning project supporting the future of Australian music. Called 50 Fanfares, this is a multi-season initiative which will see the Sydney Symphony commission and present the world premieres of new music by 50 Australian composers.
The project has been designed to represent a broad range of Australian voices and music styles, and composers were selected on recommendations received from a national nominations panel of 100 musicians, artists, educators and culture industry leaders across Australia over the past year.
The 50 composers from around the nation, who will bring this philanthropically funded project to life are: Katy Abbott, Andrew Aronowicz, Michael Bakrnčev, William Barton, Paul-Antoni Bonetti, Lyle Chan, Alice Chance, Chloé Charody, Deborah Cheetham, Connor d’Netto, Melody Eötvös, Mary Finsterer, William Gardiner, Brenda Gifford, Iain Grandage, Maria Grenfell, Gordon Hamilton, Holly Harrison, James Henry, Matthew Hindson, Mark Holdsworth, Andrew Howes, Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh, Elena Kats-Chernin, David John Lang, Liza Lim, Ella Macens, Cathy Milliken, Jordan Moore, Kate Moore, Natalie Nicolas, Kate Neal, Peggy Polias, Christopher Sainsbury, Georgia Scott, Harry Sdraulig, Lachlan Skipworth, Paul Stanhope, Luke Styles, Joseph Tawadros, Louisa Trewartha, Alex Turley, Joseph Twist, Bree van Reyk, Carl Vine, Jessica Wells, Natalie Williams, Elizabeth Younan, Miriama Young, Julian Yu.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra Chief Executive Officer Emma Dunch observed “Australia’s composers and musicians play an essential role in giving our nation a musical voice and affirming Australia’s creative position in the world. Each of the 50 composers – emerging, established and from across many musical styles and art forms – is proof of the exceptional talent that we have in this country. Collectively, these composers are important voices shaping our musical life, now and in the future.”
Simone Young AM, who will assume the role of Chief Conductor in 2022 added: “The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is the nation’s foremost orchestra and it is inspiring for me to join a leadership organisation that is so passionately committed to the future of Australian music.
“The landscape of Australian music is wonderfully rich and diverse – there are so many talented Australian composers working here and overseas. In the coming years, this initiative will give more Australians the chance to experience and be moved by their music. This is an evolving, visionary project and many of the works will be performed in my first year as Chief Conductor in 2022. This will mark the start of a new dialogue between our composers and our Orchestra.”
The first of the 50 works to be performed will be by First Nation composer Christopher Sainsbury as part of the Sydney Symphony’s A Global Ode to Joy project at the Sydney Town Hall (7-9 August 2020) which will reimagine Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony under the baton of Marin Alsop.
The 50 fanfares will be progressively performed over 2020, 2021, and 2022, and reach a broad audience by being included in mainstage concerts, regional tours, and in school education programs. Premieres will culminate in 2022 when the Sydney Symphony returns to its home at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall which is currently undergoing a two-year program of construction and acoustic renewal.
The Sydney Symphony plans to record and release all 50 commissions and partner with an international music publisher to publish the orchestral scores for international orchestra use.
