Classical Music Awards 2006

The 2006 Classical Music Awards were presented by APRA and the Australian Music Centre at the Sydney Theatre at Walsh Bay on Monday 7 August at 7pm.

Classical Music Awards - The Winners!

The Australian music industry last night celebrated the success of this year’s most outstanding Australian contemporary classical music achievements at the 2006 Classical Music Awards presented by APRA and the Australian Music Centre, at the Sydney Theatre, Walsh Bay.

The world’s largest entrepreneur of chamber music, Musica Viva Australia was the recipient of the prestigious award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music. The award, accepted by Musica Viva General Manager, Mary Jo Capps, recognises the organisation’s enormous contribution to Australian music including the commissioning of almost 100 new works across its 60-year history.

Genevieve Lacey collected the Best Performance of an Australian Composition award for the performance of James Ledger's Line Drawing performed with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra at the Art Gallery of WA in October 2005. Renowned for the amazing effect her recorder playing has on audiences, this performance was described as extraordinary in every way, with the judges noting her skilled and polished performance, “yet with passion that resulted in the creation of something truly beautiful”.

Michael Smetanin picked up the prestigious Best Composition by an Australian Composer award for his piano concerto, Mysterium Cosmographicum (Mystery of the Cosmos), especially composed for pianist Lisa Moore and named after the published theories of Johannes Kepler (1596) that explore the planetary orbits and the shape of our galaxy. Described as “controversial and challenging, this dynamic work looks to the future”. It was commissioned by Symphony Australia and Sydney Symphony and premiered at the Contemporary Music Festival in July 2005.

Arts parton, philanthropist and avid concertgoer Barbara Blackman received the Outstanding Contribution by an Individual award for her extraordinary contribution to fine music in Australia. Her gifts, totalling $1 million in 2005, were given in support of [to use her expression] “the 3 Cs: Canberra, Chamber and Contemporary”. The Australian Chamber Orchestra, Pro Musica ACT and the School of Music at the ANU are amongst the organisations that received monies to help create new works, develop young Australian musicians and inspire further generations.

The respected academic, artistic director and critic Professor Roger Covell was acknowledged for his lifetime of distinguished achievement and commitment to Australian music when he accepted the Long-Term Contribution to the Advancement of Australian Music award. Professor Covell has contributed a great deal to scholarly material, commissioned and presented numerous performances always with a focus on building the future of Australian music and musicians, enabled the growth of the world-class Australia Ensemble to flourish, and many other achievements - all undertaken in time apart from his professional role as a teacher.

Hosted by ABC Classic FM’s, Julia Lester (Drive), the ceremony saw a total of ten national and five state awards presented by industry luminaries such as Kenneth Tribe, James Strong, Brett Dean and Kathy Keele in front of 400 guests. Thousands of classical music fans across the country were able to enjoy direct coverage of the event, by tuning in to the live broadcast on ABC Classic FM.

Judged by a panel of leading composers, performers, musicologists, educators and critics, APRA and the Australian Music Centre proudly announce the following national winners for the 2006 Classical Music Awards:

Works of the Year

Vocal/Choral Work of the Year
Excepts from Southern Star by Christopher Willcock and Michael Leunig

Orchestral Work of the Year
Cello Dreaming (Orchestral Version) by Peter Sculthorpe
Published by Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd on behalf of Faber Music Ltd.

Instrumental Work of the Year
Panopticon by David Chesworth

Best Composition/Performance Award

Best Composition by an Australian Composer
Michael Smetanin for Mysterium Cosmographicum.

Award for Best Performance of an Australian Composition
Genevieve Lacey for her performance of James Ledger’s Line Drawing with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

Contribution Awards

Outstanding Contribution to Australian Music in Education
Musica Viva in Schools celebrating its 25th year in 2005.

Outstanding Contribution to Australian Music in a Regional Area
Tura New Music for Voices over WA, two weeks of workshops and performances in Kimberley and Pilbara, featuring The Song Company.

Outstanding Contribution by an Individual
Barbara Blackman for her generous support of fine music in Australia.

Outstanding Contribution by an Organisation
Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, Griffith University for Encounters: Meetings in Australian Music, curated by Vincent Plush.

Long-Term Contribution to the Advancement of Australian Music
Professor Roger Covell

Distinguished Services to Australian Music
Musica Viva Australia

State Awards

State Award for New South Wales
The inspiring and dedicated conductor and artistic director of Gondwana Voices and the Sydney Children’s Choir, Lyn Williams for her superb contribution to Australia’s choral music.

State Award for Victoria
Helen Gifford for her composition Menin Gate: a finely crafted composition that displays an original programmatic structure and successfully exploits the idiom of the piano.

State Award for Queensland
Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre, Griffith University for Encounters: Meetings in Australian Music, curated by Vincent Plush: an outstanding week-long project involving hundreds of students, staff and performers.

State Award for Western Australia
James Ledger for his composition Line Drawing written for recorder player Genevieve Lacey and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

international representation and promotion for Australian composers