Katy Abbott - Hidden Thoughts 3: Stories of Awe

NOMINATION: Work of the Year - Large Ensemble

NOMINATION: Work of the Year - Large Ensemble

Large ensemble music is defined as works for more than 12 players, with or without vocal parts, and with or without electronics. This may include works for orchestra, concert band, wind band, string orchestra. 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 work 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.

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Nominee

Katy Abbott

Title of the work

Hidden Thoughts 3: Stories of Awe

Librettist(s) or source author(s)

Katy Abbott, from anonymous survey responses; Maureen Johnson

Performer

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Performance Date

9/8/2024

Venue

Hamer Hall

Nominator Statement
This is a work of beautiful complexity. The ingenuity of Katy's approach to sourcing texts by setting the responses to a survey has enabled her to get as close as possible to humanity. Katy's interpretative lens has allowed people to have their voices heard in a unique way. Her music is crafted in such a way that it does not dominate the text but supports it, offering nuance to these moments of awe from her respondees. It is music that I felt touched me to the core. She doesn't judge but acts as a lens for the thoughts and views of her respondees.

Katy is a highly skilled and original composer, and this latest instalment in her Hidden Thoughts series allows us to see ourselves as human, real and frail, daring and audacious, mad and ebullient. The performers (even conduits) - the brilliant orchestra so gently led by Ben Northey, and the vocal acrobatics of Andrew O'Connor, Pamela Rabe and Sunny Kim all contributed to the overwhelming success of the work, and I heartily recommend it for Work of the Year (Large Ensemble).

Eligibility checklist

Support Materials

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