Resonate Magazine | Australian Music Centre

Image: Peter Knight  

Composer and trumpeter Peter Knight has been announced as the new artistic director of the Australian Art Orchestra (AAO). Knight has won international acclaim for his often 'uncategorisable' sound and his inventive approach to music-making. His music has won a number of awards, most recently his Fish Boast of Fishing CD, which took the 2012 Bell award for the most original jazz album.

Knight is thrilled to be part of a new phase for the AAO, following the term of the outgoing artistic director, Paul Grabowsky:

'I envision my role as a harnesser of energies and creativity - as someone who will support all the things that are great about the AAO now, while also offering new perspectives. In my view the Australian Art Orchestra is one of the most vital musical organisations this country has produced. Its formation transformed the Australian musical landscape and it remains a critical locus of energy and ideas. The prospect of continuing the vision of Paul Grabowsky is exciting and I am looking forward to working towards developing the AAO as an increasingly important focus for progressive music not only in Australia but also in the Asian region more broadly.'

'I am also deeply committed to the notion that an organisation like the AAO can and should have at the heart of its mission the objective of building community. Making and sharing music is above all about people, and I am excited about the ways that the AAO can nurture the next generations of improvisers, composers and artists working across multiple disciplines. Developing new audiences is of course crucial as well and I see this happening through ambitious large-scale works and tours as well as engagement on a grass-roots level,' Knight said.

AMC resources

Peter Knight - AMC profile
Paul Grabowsky - AMC profile

Further links

Australian Art Orchestra - www.aao.com.au
Media release about the appointment on the AAO website