CLARE BOWDITCH - APRA

2006 APRA-AMC CLASSICAL MUSIC AWARDS:
Celebrating passion, dedication and artistic talent
2006 APRA-AGSC SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS:
Honouring the unseen champions
>> Christopher Wilcock and John Crawford
>> David Chesworth Ebsemble
>> Gillian Armstrong and Peter Best
>> Garry McDonald
>> Peter Sculthorpe and John Crawford
>> Carl Vine and
Mary Jo Capps from
Musica Viva
>> Orchestra performs music f
or Crocodile Dundee
>> Eric Chapus and Paul Mac
Photos by >> David Otott and Damien Ford
Photos: Tony Mott
The 2006 Classical Music Awards
were presented on Monday 7
August, at the Sydney Theatre
in The Rocks. At an event
broadcast live across the country
on ABC Classic FM, ten national
awards, five state awards and the
prestigious Distinguished Services
to Australian Music award were
presented and guests enjoyed
performances from some of
Australia’s leading contemporary
classical musicians.
Musica Viva Australia – the world’s largest
entrepreneur of chamber music - was
presented with the 2006 Distinguished
Services to Australian Music award.
Joining the likes of Anne Boyd, Miriam
Hyde, Robert Hughes and Richard Meale,
this prestigious award recognises their
enormous contribution to Australian music
over the past sixty years, including the
commissioning of almost 100 new works.
“Musica Viva is the sum total of the passion,
dedication and talent of all the people that
have gathered in its name, to advocate
and celebrate Australian music for over
six decades,” said James Strong, Chair of
the Australia Council for the Arts, in his
introduction to the 2006 winner.
The award was accepted by General
Manager, Mary Jo Capps and Artistic
Director, Carl Vine.
The Works of the Year categories were won
by: David Chesworth for his instrumental
composition, Panopticon; Peter Sculthorpe
for his orchestral work, Cello Dreaming; and
Christopher Willcock and Michael Leunig
won Choral/Vocal Work of the year for
excerpts of their work, Southern Star.
Arts patron, philanthropist and avid
concertgoer, Barbara Blackman, collected
the Outstanding Contribution by an
Individual award. In 2005, her philanthropy
totalled $1 million in support of fine music
in Australia.
“Encouragement is one of the highest forms
that love can take, so my intention is the
encouragement of audience. Because an
audience that is alert, attentive, eager and
informed, brings out the best in composers
and musicians. Courage begets courage and
we’re all in it for love,” said Ms Blackman in
her moving acceptance speech.
High and low culture mash-up group CODA,
opened the evening’s proceedings with their
performance of the tongue in cheek tribute
to Robert Palmer, Palms of Shangrilah.
Other performances during the evening
included the remarkable Sydney Children’s
Choir under the direction of the renowned
musician and arts patron, Lyn Williams,
winner of the State Award for NSW.
Genevieve Lacey and Richard Haynes,
from the internationally acclaimed ELISION
group, performed works by John Rodgers
for recorder and bass clarinet. Later in
the evening, Genevieve received the Best
Performance of an Australian Composition
award for her performance of James
Ledger’s Line Drawing with the West
Australian Symphony Orchestra. Richard
won the award previously in 2004.
The audience was transfixed by Floating
World, composed by David Chesworth
(Instrumental Work of the Year winner)
and performed by the David Chesworth
Ensemble. Closing the evening, leading
chamber ensemble and Musica Viva regulars,
Sydney Soloists, performed Richard Mills’s
A Little Diary of Transformations.
Hosted by ABC Classic FM’s Julia Lester
(Drive), the 2006 Classical Music Awards
were presented by industry luminaries such
as Kenneth Tribe, James Strong, Brett Dean
and Kathy Keele in front of 400 guests.
For a full list of winners,
go to www.apra.com.au/awards
“The great thing about coming
to this Awards Ceremony is
clocking people like Grabowsky,
Bridie, Best and lots more.
People who have made the
stories we tell, completely
memorable. I believe you guys
articulate the soul of the stories
that are told in this country.”
PENNY CHAPMAN, Producer and presenter at the
2006 APRA-AGSC Screen Music Awards.
The Australian screen and music industries
gathered in November to pay tribute to
their unseen heroes; screen composers.
Held at the City Recital Hall, Angel Place,
and proudly presented by APRA and the
Australian Guild of Screen Composers,
the event was hosted by Myf Warhurst
and Alan Brough.
The audience was treated to live
performances of selected nominated
compositions. The 13-piece orchestra
was conducted by legendary composer
(and award winner for Best Music in a
Documentary), Paul Grabowsky.
Gillian Armstrong presented veteran
composer Peter Best, with the prestigious
2006 International Achievement Award.
Peter is arguably Australia’s most prolific
film, television and jingle writer, with a
list of impressive credits spanning three
decades. Highlights of his stellar career
include score for the worldwide smash
movies, Crocodile Dundee I and II, Muriel’s
Wedding plus We of the Never Never, High
Tide, Doin’ Time for Patsy Cline and Bliss.
Reflecting the camaraderie and the sense
of community of the gathering, Peter
noted wryly in his acceptance speech,
“On awards nights we can mingle with
the only people in the industry who
understand and appreciate the value
of screen music – ourselves.”
The coveted Feature Film Score of the
Year went to Francois Tetaz, whose eerie
screen composition brilliantly matched the
isolating tension of Australian box office
hit, Wolf Creek.
The two awards determined by statistical
analysis were Most Performed Screen
Composer – Australia, won by Jay
Stewart, and Most Performed Screen
Composer – Overseas, won by Garry
McDonald & Laurie Stone for the second
year running.
A number of contemporary music artists,
have turned to screen composition over the
years with great success. Icehouse founder,
Iva Davies won the award for
best Music for Mini Series or Telemovie
for The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant.
The multi-talented David Bridie won Best
Soundtrack Album for R.A.N.; and ex-
Models member Roger Mason won Best
music for Television Series or Serial for
Peking To Paris.
Other winners on the night included
Christopher Elves for Best Music for
Children’s Television for Faireez – Episode
40. Michael Yezerski won Best Original
Song Composed for the Screen for
Thursday’s Fictions – ARIA. Elliott Wheeler
won Best Music for an Advertisement for
McDonald’s Inner Child. Jonathan Nix
received the award for Best Music for a
Short Film for Gustavo and Andrew Hansen
won Best Television Theme for The Chaser’s
War on Everything.
Encapsulating the commitment and support
from APRA and the AGSC for Australia’s
screen composers, APRA CEO Brett Cottle
said, “Most of us could probably write the
soundtrack to our lives, but we don’t have
to because the people we are honouring
here tonight have already done it for us.
That’s why we have these awards.”
For a full list of winners,
go to www.apra.com.au/awards
A P R A P D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 6 > > 0 8