Kathleen Balfe - Exit

NOMINATION: Performance of the Year - Notated Composition

NOMINATION: Performance of the Year - Notated Composition

For the performance of a single Australian work, showcasing the performer(s)’ success in revealing the nature and intention of a composition with clear notated instructions for the performer. Works with significant improvisatory aspects should instead be submitted for Performance of the Year: Jazz / Improvised Music. A work is defined as a single complete musical composition, or expression. This includes music with movements or sub-works (i.e. song cycles), installations, and real-time compositions (improvised music).

If you believe your performance to be nominated in the wrong category or the details of your nomination to be incorrect, please contact the AMC via email at awards@australianmusiccentre.com.au before proceeding with the nomination.

Art Music Award guidelines →


Nominee

Kathleen Balfe

Nominee email

kathleen.balfe@gmail.com

Title of the work

Exit

Composer(s) of the work

Keyna Wilkins

Librettist(s) or source author(s)

Mohammad Ali Maleki

Performance Date

30/12/2024

Venue

Escarparate Associatione Cadiz, Spain

Nominator Statement
Keyna Wilkins is a pioneering Australian/British composer-musician. She was one of three finalists for the Australian Art Music Awards for Individual Excellence in 2021 and 2018 (APRA/AMCOS). Her music has been described by The Sydney Morning Herald as "arresting, genre-blurring...disquieting music with massive breadth and high drama", by Limelight Magazine as "Debussy, Miles Davis and flamenco in equal parts...an irresistible mix" and Jazz in Europe as "creating soundtracks for the biggest issues in our time". (More info: www.keynawilkins.com ) She has a history of passionately defending human rights, especially of refugees in Australia who arrive by boat. She worked with Mohamad Ali Maleki for many years while he was held in detention cells on Manus Island and a detention centre in Brisbane collaborating on various poetry and music projects. "Exit" is a cello and spoken word piece based on text by Mohammad Ali Maleki and composed especially for Laura Chislett. Mohammad is an Iranian refugee imprisoned by the Australian government for 9 years without trial or charge, for arriving by boat and seeking protection. This included 6 years on the notorious Manus Island prison camp. He writes about his experiences. His poetry is published by Verity La, Rochford Press and many others. He was released in 2022 in Brisbane, just before the last election and currently lives there. www.mohammadalimaleki.com . Kathleen's Balfe's performance of this work was absolutely extraordinary. Kathleen workshopped the piece with Keyna via zoom in the 12 months preceding the peformance. The work is published by the esteemed Australian publishing house Wirripang.

Eligibility checklist

Support Materials

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