NOMINATION: Work of the Year - Dramatic
Dramatic works are defined as music primarily intended for theatre and dance, such as opera, music theatre and ballet.
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.
Art Music Award guidelines →
Nominee
Nick Wales
Title of the work
momenta
Performer
Sydney Dance Company
Performance Date
28/5/2024
Venue
Premiered at the Roslyn Packer Theatre before a national tour
Nominator Statement
Nick Wales score for Momenta, composed for Sydney Dance Company, is a masterful exploration of movement, emotion, and sonic architecture, embodying the very essence of what it means to create music for the stage. His composition does not merely accompany the choreographyit breathes with it, shaping and being shaped by the kinetic energy of the dancers.
Wales has long been revered for his ability to blend contemporary classical sensibilities with electronic textures and global influences, and Momenta is a striking example of this synthesis at its most refined and evocative. His score moves seamlessly between moments of atmospheric restraint and dynamic intensity, crafting an immersive sonic world that propels the works narrative forward. Through intricate layering, deep harmonic structures, and an intuitive responsiveness to movement, Wales music becomes an integral force in the performance, heightening the drama and tension with an almost cinematic sensitivity.
A hallmark of Momenta is its fluid relationship between music and dancerather than serving as a mere backdrop, the score becomes an active participant in the storytelling. The interplay of pulsating rhythms, haunting melodies, and evolving textures reflects the physicality and urgency of the choreography, reinforcing the works themes of transformation, momentum, and human connection.
Beyond its artistic brilliance, Momenta is an important contribution to Australias contemporary performance landscape. It exemplifies the power of collaborative art-making, demonstrating how original composition can elevate and reframe the experience of dance. Wales ability to craft music that is at once deeply emotive and technically sophisticated places Momenta among the most outstanding dramatic works of the year.
For its innovation, its seamless integration with movement, and its deeply affecting impact on audiences, Nick Wales score for Momenta is a deserving recipient of Work of the Year: Dramatic.
Nominee
Nick Wales
Title of the work
momenta
Performer
Sydney Dance Company
Performance Date
28/5/2024
Venue
Premiered at the Roslyn Packer Theatre before a national tour
Wales has long been revered for his ability to blend contemporary classical sensibilities with electronic textures and global influences, and Momenta is a striking example of this synthesis at its most refined and evocative. His score moves seamlessly between moments of atmospheric restraint and dynamic intensity, crafting an immersive sonic world that propels the works narrative forward. Through intricate layering, deep harmonic structures, and an intuitive responsiveness to movement, Wales music becomes an integral force in the performance, heightening the drama and tension with an almost cinematic sensitivity.
A hallmark of Momenta is its fluid relationship between music and dancerather than serving as a mere backdrop, the score becomes an active participant in the storytelling. The interplay of pulsating rhythms, haunting melodies, and evolving textures reflects the physicality and urgency of the choreography, reinforcing the works themes of transformation, momentum, and human connection.
Beyond its artistic brilliance, Momenta is an important contribution to Australias contemporary performance landscape. It exemplifies the power of collaborative art-making, demonstrating how original composition can elevate and reframe the experience of dance. Wales ability to craft music that is at once deeply emotive and technically sophisticated places Momenta among the most outstanding dramatic works of the year.
For its innovation, its seamless integration with movement, and its deeply affecting impact on audiences, Nick Wales score for Momenta is a deserving recipient of Work of the Year: Dramatic.