Finalists Revealed For The 2020 Art Music Awards

The finalists for the 2020 Art Music Awards have been unveiled, with organisers describing this year’s selection as “the most vibrant and surprising line-up of shortlisted artists, works and performances” the event has ever seen.

This year’s shortlist was narrowed down from a record 278 nominations across 13 categories, with winners set to be unveiled on September 8 during a virtual awards ceremony.

"2020 has brought so much grief. Many of the world's preoccupations are proving empty," composer and pianist Barney McAll said when details around the 2020 Art Music Awards were revealed last month.

"We can take solace in the truthfulness of our art music, a music that has always reflected a battle for awareness and manifested a force for transformation and renewal. Massive change has now become imperative to our survival as a species. I am honoured to be part of a musical culture that can only become increasingly important as so much emptiness is spotlighted and amended." 

The annual event, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, will be live-streamed via APRA AMCOS’ YouTube on September 8 from 7:00pm AEST.

Check out the full list of finalists below.

Work of the Year - Choral

Title: A Civic Space

Composer: Julian Day

Performer: Musicians from the Barossa region

Title: I Am Martuwarra

Composer: Paul Stanhope, text by Steve Hawke

Performer: Gondwana Choirs, Luminescence Chamber Singers, Valla Voices, Hunter Singers, and Resonance and Lyn Williams, conductor

Title: Requiem-Recomposed

Composer: Gordon Hamilton

Performer: Omega Ensemble and The Australian Voices and Gordon Hamilton, conductor

Title: Singing The Love

Composer: Ross Edwards

Performer: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge and Stephen Cleobury, conductor

Publisher: BMG AM

Work of the Year - Dramatic

Title: Ned Kelly

Composer: Luke Styles, librettist Peter Goldsworthy

Performer: Lost and Found Opera and Chris van Tuinen, conductor

Publisher: G Schirmer Australia

Title: Oscar and Lucinda

Composer: Elliott Gyger, librettist Pierce Wilcox

Performer: Sydney Chamber Opera and Jack Symonds, conductor

Title: Out Of Chaos

Composer: Ekrem Eli Phoenix

Performer: Gravity and Other Myths

Title: Speechless

Composer: Cat Hope

Performer: Judith Dodsworth, Karina Utomo, Tara Tiba, Sage Pbbbt (soloists), Australian Bass Orchestra, Decibel New Music Ensemble and Aaron Wyatt, conductor

Work of the Year - Jazz

Title: Aventurine

Composer: Linda May Han Oh

Performer: Linda May Han Oh, Greg Ward, Matt Mitchell, Ches Smith, Fung Chern Hwei, Sara Caswell, Benni von Gutzeit, Jeremy Harman, Invenio with Gian Slater, director

Title: Displacement

Composer: Josh Kelly

Performer: Josh Kelly, Niran Dasika, Aviva Endean, Mary Rapp, Jacques Emery and Maria Moles

Title: The Colours Of Grief

Composer: Adam Page

Performer: The Adam Page Ensemble

Title: Umi No Uzu

Composer: Aaron Choulai

Performer: Australian Art Orchestra, Aaron Choulai, Miyama McQueen-Tokita and Kojoe

Work of the Year – Large Ensemble

Title: Beatrice

Composer: Kate Moore

Performer: Vivian Choi, piano, Willoughby Symphony, and Fabian Russell, conductor

Publisher: Donemus Publishing BV

Title: Flinders & Trim

Composer: Maria Grenfell

Performer: Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and Eivind Aadland, conductor

Title: Icarus

Composer: Harry Sdraulig

Performer: Lloyd Hudson, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and Elena Schwarz, conductor

Title: Viola Concerto

Composer: James Ledger

Performer: Brett Dean, West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Fabien Gabel, conductor

Work of the Year - Chamber Music

Title: Cleave

Composer: Natasha Anderson

Performer: Ensemble Offspring, International Contemporary Ensemble and Ensemble Adapter

Title: passing bells: day

Composer: Chris Dench

Performer: Alex Raineri

Title: String Quartet  no. 3: Hidden Agendas

Composer: Brett Dean

Performer: Doric String Quartet

Publisher: Hal Leonard/Boosey & Hawkes Group

Title: Where The Quiet Rests

Composer: John Pax

Performer: WasteLAnd

Work of the Year - Electroacoustic/Sound Art

Title: Coronal Mass

Composer: Amanda Cole with lead artist Michaela Gleave, programmer Warren Armstrong, sound engineer Bob Scott and scientists Martin Connors and Ian Schofield

Title: Diaspora

Composer: Robin Fox and Erkki Veltheim in a Chamber Made Production

Performer: Robin Fox, Erkki Veltheim, Madeleine Flynn, Georgie Darvidis, Tamara Saulwick (co-direction/dramaturgy) and Nick Roux (video artist)

Title: Everywhen

Composer: Matthias Schack-Arnott

Performer: Matthias Schack-Arnott

Title: Imago

Composer: Fiona Hill

Performer:  Lamorna Nightingale, Jane Sheldon and Fiona Hill

Performance of the Year – Jazz/Improvised Music

Performer: Australian Art Orchestra 

Title: The Plains

Composer: Peter Knight

Performer: Joseph Franklin

Title: Amen

Composer: Joseph Franklin

Performer: Phil Slater Quintet

Title: The Cordeaux Mirror

Composer: Phil Slater

Performer: Sandy Evans, Shubha Mudgal, Aneesh Pradhan and Sirens Big Band

Title: Bridge Of Dreams

Composer: Sandy Evans, Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan

Performance of the Year – Notated Composition

Performer: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Douglas Boyd, conductor

Title: Weave

Composer: Cathy Milliken

Performer: Louise Devenish

Title: Sheets Of Sound

Composers: Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh, Matthias Schack-Arnott, Louise Devenish and Stuart James 

Performer: Sydney Chamber Opera and Jack Symonds, conductor

Title: Oscar & Lucinda

Composer: Elliott Gyger, librettist Pierce Wilcox

Performer: Zubin Kanga    

Title: Rhythm City

Composer: Tristan Coelho  

Award for Excellence in Music Education

Australian Art Orchestra for its Creative Music Intensive

Netanela Mizrahi & Guwanbal Gurruwiwi for The Djari Project

Speak Percussion for Sounds Unheard Education Program

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for the Australian Composers’ School

Award for Excellence in a Regional Area

Bangalow Music Festival for its 2019 festival

Gillian Howell & Tura New Music for the Fitzroy Valley New Music Project

Netanela Mizrahi & Guwanbal Gurruwiwi for The Djari Project

Rae Howell for Bee-Sharp Honeybee

Award for Excellence in Experimental Music

Gelareh Pour for Garden Quartet

The Music Box Project for Shallow Listening

Nat Grant for FEED

Zubin Kanga for 2019 Performances of Ballast by Jon Rose