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