CANBERRA musicians Larry Sitsky and Richard Johnson were among the top Australian musicians honoured at last night’s ART Music Awards.
Formerly known as the Classical Music Awards, the event held in the City Recital Hall in Sydney was staged jointly between APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre to recognise composers, performers and educators across the genres of classical, jazz and experimental music.
The recipient of the Award for Excellence in Experimental Music, Johnson was acknowledged at both the national and state levels for his passion within the experimental arts and his promotion of improvising musicians, particularly for his work developing the SoundOut Festival of Experimental and Improvised Music, held this year at the ANU Drill Hall Galley.
As previously reported in “Citynews,” composer, pianist and music educator Larry Sitsky was honoured for his’enduring contribution to Australian music’ as the 2015 recipient of the Distinguished Services to Australian Music Award.
Other top recipients announced were composer Brett Dean, awarded the Orchestral Work of the Year award for his trumpet concerto “Dramatis Personae” and Iain Grandage and librettist Alison Croggon’s for their Vocal/Choral interpretation of “The Riders” by Tim Winton.
Recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey curated the performances at the awards, which included an excerpt from “The Riders”. The Sydney Children’s Choir were joined on stage by conductor Matthew Winnel and Canberra-raised pianist Sally Whitwell to perform Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall’s, “Our Song”, (arranged by composer Dan Walker) and ART Music Awards finalist Joseph Twist’s work “Rain Dream”. Australian trumpeter and composer Phil Slater was joined onstage by Simon Barker and Carl Dewhurst to perform his composition “The Cutting and The Shrine”.
The full list of winners is below:
DISTINGUISHED SERVICES TO AUSTRALIAN MUSIC
Larry Sitsky
Performance of the Year
Performer: Ashley William Smith soloist, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Baldur
Brönnimann conductor
Title: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra
Composer: Lachlan Skipworth
Work of the Year: Vocal/Choral
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: Music for Average Photography
Composer: Mace Francis
Performed by: Mace Francis Orchestra
Instrumental Work of the Year
Title: The Secret Noise
Composer: Damien Ricketson
Performed by: Ensemble Offspring
Orchestral Work of the Year
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
ART MUSIC AWARDS 2015 APRA AMCOS | 16 Mountain Street Ultimo | +61 2 9935 7900 | awards@apra.com.au
Award for Excellence by an Organisation
Gondwana Choirs for the 2014 artistic program, and significant contribution to Australian music
since 1989
Award for Excellence by an Individual
Ross Edwards for his contribution to Australian chamber music
Award for Excellence in Music Education
Lorraine Milne for sustained contribution to music education
Award for Excellence in a Regional Area
New England Conservatorium of Music for New England Sings!
Award for Excellence in Experimental Music
Richard Johnson for the SoundOut Festival of Experimental and Improvised Music
Award for Excellence in Jazz
Julien Wilson for recording and touring associated with the establishment of Lionsharecords
2015 ART MUSIC AWARDS
STATE WNNERS
ACT
In the category of Excellence in Experimental Music
Richard Johnson, for SoundOut Festival of Experimental and Improvised Music
NSW
In the category of Excellence in Music Education
Moorambilla Voices, for education work in North West NSW
QLD
In the category in Excellence in Music Education
Topology, for Top Up music education program
ART MUSIC AWARDS 2015 APRA AMCOS | 16 Mountain Street Ultimo | +61 2 9935 7900 | awards@apra.com.au
SA
In the category of Excellence by an Organisation
Adelaide Festival, for 2014 Tectonics Adelaide
VIC
In the category of Excellence by an Organisation
Speak Percussion, for 2014 international touring
WA
In the category of Excellence in a Regional Area
West Australian Symphony Orchestra, for WASO on the Road Touring, and Onslow Kids Music
Education (OK Me!) in West Pilbara
Who can be trusted?
In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.
If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.
Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.
Thank you,
Ian Meikle, editor
Leave a Reply