The annual Australian Classical Music Awards were announced this week, presented by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and the Australian Music Centre.
Held at the Sydney Theatre and broadcast live across Australia on ABC Classic FM to an audience of thousands, it was an evening of quality entertainment and recognition for contributions by individuals and organisations to the broad genre of contemporary classical Australian music.
¨These are the most surprising, eclectic and funky awards,¨ said Brett Cottle, CEO of APRA in his opening address. And true to his words, the live performances began with Brisbane quintet, Topology with a tight arrangement intertwined with audio and visual footage of a 1975 news piece and interview with Gough Whitlam, entitled ¨Well may we say¨.
For radio listeners of the Awards, one would have been forgiven for not remembering that the piano solo performed by Roger Smalley, Gamelan, No. 1 of Three Studies in Black and White, rhythmically engaging, yet distinct and resonating in the pentatonic scale, was written for and performed with the left hand only.
Vocal group Halcyon, accompanied on harp, performed excerpts from Part One of O Venezia by Graham Hair, a "multi-movement 'song-cycle-in-progress'", an adventurous arrangement that left the audience breathless and most likely with goosebumps.
TaikOz percussion group closed the Awards with Shinju-Pearl: Part 1 on seven odaiko - grand drums - played with the drummers´ backs to the audience. The lack of facial expression was replaced with strength and poise; balanced rhythm and dynamics; and immense control between moments of muscular exertion and restraint.
Judged by a panel of leading composers, performers, musicologists, educators and critics, eleven national and various state awards were presented by industry luminaries Sue Nattrass, Carl Vine, Kathy Keele and Nicola Downer. The ceremony was hosted by ABC Classic FM Drive presenter, Julia Lester.
Of particular note, the prestigious Distinguished Services to Australian Music Award was received by Belinda Webster for her continued efforts to record and promote the best of Australian composers and performers for over 16 years. Her label, Tall Poppies, has commissioned almost 50 new works and produced close to 200 CDs.
Winners of the 2007 Classical Music Awards:
Instrumental Work of the Year*
Ross Edwards for Piano Trio
Performed by The Australian Trio
Published by Universal Music Publishing Group on behalf of G Ricordi & Co (London) Ltd
Orchestral Work of the Year*
Liza Lim for Flying Banner (After Wang To)
Performed by the Sydney Symphony; Conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti
Published by Universal Music Publishing Group on behalf of G Ricordi & Co (London) Ltd
Choral or Vocal Work of the Year*
Sarah Hopkins for May You Dance
Performed by The People of Childers
Best Performance of an Australian Composition
Rebecca Lagos (soloist) for her performance of When The Clock Strikes Me by Nigel Westlake with the Sydney Symphony
Best Composition by an Australian Composer
Roger Smalley for Birthday Tango
Outstanding Contribution to Australian Music in Education
Australian Youth Orchestra and the Australian Ballet for the 2006 National Music Camp Composition Program BodyTorque
Outstanding Contribution to Australian Music in a Regional Area
2006 Camden Haven Music Festival
Outstanding Contribution by an Individual
Claire Edwardes/Duo Vertigo for the Duyfken Project
Outstanding Contribution by an Organisation
2006 Aurora Festival of New Music
Long-Term Contribution to the Advancement of Australian Music
Ian Cleworth
Distinguished Services to Australian Music
Belinda Webster
The 2007 Classical Music Award State/Territory winners** are:
State Award for New South Wales
The inspiring and dedicated artistic director and performer, Ian Cleworth, for his superb long-term contribution to Australian music.
State Award for South Australia
Tristram Cary for his long-term contribution to Australian music. Tristram's outstanding career as an innovator in electronic music, composer and educator, has profoundly influenced the development of electronic music in Britain, Australia and the USA. He has received numerous awards for his outstanding contributions, including the prestigious Prix Italia.
State Award for Victoria
Holland's Utrecht String Quartet performing Gordon Kerry Variations for String quartet for Musica Viva Australia tour in Melbourne.
State Award for Queensland
Queensland Youth Symphony performing Carl Vine's Symphony No. 2. The QYO set itself a difficult challenge in choosing to perform this work, however the final performance was hailed as 'amazing' by the composer himself and was impressed by the incredible care taken with the music.
State Award Winner for Western Australia,
Iain Grandage for his composition The Silence written for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. The work explores the theme of the loss of the parent, with brilliant use of musical quotations and parody; it captivated its intended young audience from beginning to end.
State Award for Tasmania,
David Malone for his individual contribution though his work as a performer, artistic director and educator.* Works of the Year categories were assessed by APRA on the basis of performance activities as registered with APRA throughout 2006.
** State/Territory Awards for ACT and NT were not awarded this year.
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