20 July 2015
2015 Art Music Awards - finalists announced
An impressive selection of some of Australia's finest compositions, performances and outstanding achievements across 11 national categories have today been named as finalists for the 2015 Art Music Awards. APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre are proud to recognise the diversity, excellence, craftsmanship and creativity of this outstanding group.
With a roll-call that features well-known composers Paul Stanhope, Carl Vine, Elena Kats-Chernin, Damien Ricketson, Brett Dean and many others, this year also sees an increase in composers acknowledged for the first time. Dan Walker, Mace Francis, Daniel Susnjar, Simon Barker, Carl Dewhurst, Bae Il-Dong, Riley Lee, Matt McMahon, Phil Slater, Lachlan Skipworth and Joseph Twist have all been recognised within the Work of the Year categories.
Moorambilla Voices have been named as finalists in three
categories for their work in regional NSW. Paul
Grabowsky, Synergy Percussion, and the West Australian
Symphony Orchestra also appear multiple times across Works of the
Year, Performance and Award for Excellence categories in
2015.
Of the finalists, John Davis, Australian Music Centre CEO
said, 'The achievements represented by the finalists
across the award categories demonstrate the diversity and
vibrancy of creative practice in our sector, and a level of
excellence that we are immensely proud of.'
The recipient of the Distinguished Services to Australian Music
award (as determined by the APRA Board of Directors) will be
announced prior to the event.
The winners will be announced at the 2015 Art Music Awards on
Tuesday August 11 at the City Recital Hall in
Sydney. The event will be hosted by Fenella Kernebone,
with music performances curated by Genevieve Lacey.
APRA AMCOS and the AMC would like to congratulate all the
finalists for the 2015 Art Music Awards.
2015 Art Music Awards - finalists
Vocal / Choral Work of the Year
Title: Afterwards
Composer: Stephen
Adams
Performed by: Sydney Chamber Choir & Claire Edwardes
Title: How Shall We Sing in a Strange Land?
Composer: Joseph
Twist
Text: Oodgeroo Noonuccal
Performed by: National Youth Choir of Australia, Australian Boys
Choir & The Vocal Consort
Title:
Mass of Deliverance
Composer: Dan
Walker
Performed by: Leichhardt Espresso Chorus, Sydney Brass, Michelle
Leonard conductor
Title: The Riders
Composer: Iain
Grandage
Text: Alison Croggon, based on the novel by Tim Winton
Performed by: Victorian Opera
Jazz Work of the Year
Title: Love Like a Curse
Composer: Paul
Grabowsky
Performed by: Monash Art Ensemble (MAE)
Publisher: J Albert and Son Pty Ltd
Title: Mujing
Composers: Simon Barker, Carl Dewhurst, Bae Il-Dong, Riley Lee,
Matt McMahon and Phil Slater
Performed by: Simon Barker (drums), Carl Dewhurst (guitar), Bae
Il-Dong (vocalist), Riley Lee (shakuhachi), Matt McMahon (piano),
and Phil Slater (trumpet)
Title: Music for Average Photography
Composer: Mace Francis
Performed by: Mace Francis Orchestra (MFO)
Title: Pius Bartosik
Composer: Daniel Susnjar
Performed by: Daniel Susnjar Afro-Peruvian jazz group
Instrumental Work of the Year
Title:
Piano Trio 'The Village'
Composer: Carl
Vine
Performed by: Sitkovetsky Trio
Publishers: Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd/Faber obo Faber Music
Ltd
Title: Shadow Box (concert version)
Composer: Damian
Barbeler
Performed by: Genevieve Lacey and James Crabb
Title: The Nightingale and the Rose
Composer: Paul
Grabowsky
Performed by: Paul Grabowsky and Genevieve Lacey with the
Flinders Quartet
Publisher: J Albert and Son Pty Ltd
Title: The Secret Noise
Composer:
Damien Ricketson
Performed by: Ensemble Offspring
Orchestral Work of the Year
Title: Concerto for clarinet and orchestra
Composer:
Lachlan Skipworth
Performed by: West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Ashley William
Smith soloist, Baldur Bronniman conductor
Title:
Dramatis Personae - Music for Trumpet and
Orchestra
Composer: Brett
Dean
Performed by: Håkan Hardenberger, soloist, Brett Dean conductor,
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Publishers: Hal Leonard/Boosey & Hawkes Group obo Bote Bock
Der Boosey Hawkes Bote Bock Gm
Title: Elastic Band - for solo improvised violin and
orchestra
Composers:
Elena Kats-Chernin and Jon
Rose
Performed by: Jon Rose with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Ilan
Volkov conductor
Title:
Jandamarra - Sing for the Country
Composer: Paul
Stanhope and the Bunuba People
Librettist: Steve Hawke
Performed by: Brett Weymark, Simon Lobelson, Singers and Dancers
of the Yilimbirri Ensemble, Gondwana Choirs and Sydney Symphony
Orchestra
Performance of the Year
Performer: Ashley William Smith soloist, West Australian Symphony
Orchestra, Baldur Bronniman conductor
Title: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra
Composer:
Lachlan Skipworth
Performer:
Michael Kieran Harvey
Title:
Luz meridional, Twenty-four Études for Pianoforte,
no. 411
Composer: Andrián
Pertout
Performer: Synergy Percussion
Title: Beauty Will Be Amnesiac Or Will Not Be At All
Composer: Anthony
Pateras
Performer: West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Michael Stern
conductor
Title:
Concerto for Orchestra
Composer: Carl
Vine
Award for Excellence by an Organisation
Gondwana Choirs for the 2014 artistic program, and significant contribution to Australian music since 1989
Moorambilla Voices for the 2014 program and contribution to musical life in remote New South Wales
Sydney Chamber Choir for 40 years of outstanding contribution to Australian choral music
Synergy Percussion for 40 years of Synergy Percussion in 2014
Award for Excellence by an Individual
Jeanell Carrigan for resurrecting the piano music of Meta Overman
Julian Day for excellence in researching, broadcasting and presenting the work of Australian musicians to a broad national and international public on broadcast and print media outlets
Peter Knight for leadership, composition, performance and curation
Ross Edwards for his contribution to Australian chamber music
Award for Excellence in Music Education
Lorraine Milne for sustained contribution to music education
Moorambilla Voices for education work in North West New South Wales
Sydney Symphony Orchestra for TunED-Up!
Topology for Top Up music education program
Award for Excellence in a Regional Area
Boyd and Alison for Coalface 2014
Moorambilla Voices for Moorambilla Voices Program 2014
New England Conservatorium of Music for New England Sings!
Tyalgum Music Festival for 2014 activity
Award for Excellence in Experimental Music
Darrin Verhagen for activity/projects
Jon Rose, Ensemble Offspring, Speak Percussion for Ghan Tracks
Luke Johnson for Ornate Boredom Machine
Richard Johnson for the SoundOut Festival of Experimental and Improvised Music
Award for Excellence in Jazz
Alister Spence, Christopher Cantillo and Joe Williamson for Begin
Julien Wilson for recording and touring associated with the establishment of Lionsharecords
PBS 106.7FM for The Young Elder of Jazz Commission
Peter Knight for leadership, composition, performance, curation
Further links
Art
Music Awards (AMC Online)
Art Music Awards - finalists (APRA AMCOS)
© Australian Music Centre (2015) — Permission must be obtained from the AMC if you wish to reproduce this article either online or in print.
Comments
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Solution
by John Davis on 3 August, 2015, 9:41am
Hi Ian Shanahan, if your favourites at not represented then you can easily address this, like any other AMC or APRA member, by submitting nominations! We look forward to you lodging yours next year...
Thumbs up!
by Alastair McKean on 3 August, 2015, 4:17pm
Great selection of finalists - bravo! A whole bunch of really terrific composers and some very creative works. And so good to see some new voices appearing for the first time. I don't envy the judges when there's such a wealth of talent!
Thumbs up?
by Ian Shanahan on 6 August, 2015, 6:46pm
Alastair, you claim: "A whole bunch of really terrific composers and some very creative works". I challenge you to choose just one of the works by these so-called 'terrific' composers and demonstrate how it is "very creative" by revealing something therein that is genuinely innovative, or even genuinely distinctive. Until you can do that, your opinion remains unsubstantiated and worthless.
A better solution
by Ian Shanahan on 7 August, 2015, 11:23am
In regard to art-music and jazz compositions, there should be no need for nomination. If a work is performed publicly during the period in question, then it should be considered **automatically**. And the only relevant materials for adjudication are its score and - if available - a recording. Anything else has no relevance whatsoever to a work's standard of merit. These changes would guarantee that smaller groups - which is where all of the compositional innovation and excellence are occuring (and not with the orchestras, the AO etc.) - are at least in the running.