NOMINATION: Excellence in Music Education
For pedagogical, creative or professional development activities that champion Australian repertoire, including specific projects, recordings or recording projects, or events undertaken by an individual or organisation.
If you believe you are 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
Flinders Quartet
Nominated Project/Activity
Ascend 2024 Program
Nominator Statement
In 2024, the Flinders Quartet commissioned, workshopped, performed, and recorded four new quartets by the Australian composers: Nicole Brady, Andrew Howes, Chris Williams, and Aristea Mellos through the Ascend program. It was generous in its scope and unique in its support of each composers compositional process.
Over a period of eight months, each composer was able to freely exchange and trial their ideas with members of the quartet, refining their scores to achieve the best possible result. Two workshops were held in July and November, the second was public, and broadcast live for an online audience, allowing remote interaction with the creative process. Through a live feed, audience members were able to contribute to discussions on instrumental techniques and notation, and to hear these new Australian works emerge. Indeed, the quartets commitment to geographic accessibility allowed Australian composer Chris Williams to participate while studying in the U.S.A.
In late November, the new quartets received two performances by the Flinders Quartet in Melbourne, before being professionally recorded. The quality of the materials generated from this wonderful program was matched by the quality of the works composed for Ascend. Each composer crafted a work that encapsulated their musical voice, and also extended their knowledge and control of the string quartet as an ensemble. This was only possible due to the passion of the Flinders Quartet members who nurtured these four new Australian works into the canon. Even after the program was over, the players have continued to champion the works, sending them to various bodies and performers as recommended works (and composers), extending the development beyond the scope of just the workshop, but becoming an ongoing relationship with these composers.
After 25 years of championing Australian composition and in supporting the next generation of Australian voices, the Flinders Quartet deserves to be recognised. And so, I am nominating them and the Ascend Program in 2024 for an APRA AMCOS award.
Nominee
Flinders Quartet
Nominated Project/Activity
Ascend 2024 Program
Over a period of eight months, each composer was able to freely exchange and trial their ideas with members of the quartet, refining their scores to achieve the best possible result. Two workshops were held in July and November, the second was public, and broadcast live for an online audience, allowing remote interaction with the creative process. Through a live feed, audience members were able to contribute to discussions on instrumental techniques and notation, and to hear these new Australian works emerge. Indeed, the quartets commitment to geographic accessibility allowed Australian composer Chris Williams to participate while studying in the U.S.A.
In late November, the new quartets received two performances by the Flinders Quartet in Melbourne, before being professionally recorded. The quality of the materials generated from this wonderful program was matched by the quality of the works composed for Ascend. Each composer crafted a work that encapsulated their musical voice, and also extended their knowledge and control of the string quartet as an ensemble. This was only possible due to the passion of the Flinders Quartet members who nurtured these four new Australian works into the canon. Even after the program was over, the players have continued to champion the works, sending them to various bodies and performers as recommended works (and composers), extending the development beyond the scope of just the workshop, but becoming an ongoing relationship with these composers.
After 25 years of championing Australian composition and in supporting the next generation of Australian voices, the Flinders Quartet deserves to be recognised. And so, I am nominating them and the Ascend Program in 2024 for an APRA AMCOS award.