APRA AMCOS Names 2023 Art Music Awards Finalists – The Violin Channel

Alongside the Australian Music Center, music rights management group APRA AMCOS has revealed finalists in 11 categories for its Art Music Awards

The music rights management organization APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Center’s Art Music Awards recognizes outstanding Australian creators and performers in contemporary, classical, jazz, experimental music, and sound art. 

For the 2023 Art Music Awards, four finalists have been selected in each of the 11 national categories:

Work of the Year – Choral

– Stuart Greenbaum | Brought to Light – Symphony No. 5
Cantori New York and conductor Mark Shapiro

– Brooke Shelley | Heavenly Father
Sydney Chamber Choir and conductor Sam Allchurch

– Meta Cohen | Swerve | text – Leona Cohen 
The Consort of Melbourne and Homophonic!

– Heather Percy | Three Night Songs 
Sydney Chamber Choir and conductor Sam Allchurch

Work of the Year – Dramatic​​​​​​​

– Shervin Mirzeinali | Panbe Zan  
Maximillian Alduca, Majid Amani, Harry Birch, Danial Bozorgi, Arman Gouniaei, Ehsan Kachooei, Agnes Sarkis and Ali Yarmohammadi, and director Marjan Lotfali

– May Lyon | Precious Bedeviller aka One Person Watching 
The Australian Ballet Bodytorque Ensemble

– Connor D’Netto | The Call | text – Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall
Ali McGregor, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and conductor Zoe Zeniodi

– Joe Twist | | Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan | text – Christos Tsiolkas and Alana Valentine
Adelaide Chamber Singers and Chamber Orchestra and conductor Christie Anderson

Work of the Year – Jazz

– Nat Bartsch | Busy/Quiet
Nat Bartsch Quartet, Ellen Kirkwood & Loretta Palmeiro

– Vanessa Perica | Hill of Grace
Australian National Jazz Orchestra Youth Big Band and conductor Vanessa Perica

– Emily-Rose Sarkova | Upon These Open Skins
Emily-Rose and the Wild Things

– Matthew Sheens | Written in the Dark
Matt Penmann, Kenneth Salters, Matthew Sheens and Hugh Stuckey

Work of the Year – Large Ensemble

– Liza Lim | Annunciation Triptych | publisher – Universal Music Publishing MGB Australia
WDR Sinfonie-Orchester, Cristian Măcelaru, and Emily Hindrichs 

– Paul Dean | Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra 
Phoebe Russell and Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and conductor Johannes Fritzsch

– Kym Alexandra Dillon | Diapsalmata: Portrait of a Self
Stephen Marsh, Kym Alexandra Dillon, Forest Collective, and conductor Elliott Gyger

– Ella Macens | Release
Sydney Symphony Orchestra and conductor Simone Young

Work of the Year – Chamber Music

– Lachlan Skipworth | Pine Chant 
Sara Fraker, Jackie Glazier, Marissa Olegario, and Lachlan Skipworth

– Paul Dean | Septet 
Paul Dean, Trish Dean, Imants Larsen, Peter Luff, David Mitchell, Phoebe Russell, and Natsuko Yoshimoto

– Felicity Wilcox | Sound Fields
Rubiks Collective

– Jack Symonds | String Quartet No. 2
Australian String Quartet

Work of the Year – Electroacoustic/Sound Art

– Zinia Chan | Gaze Upon the Liquid Sky
Jasper Ly and Peter Dumsday

– Mindy Meng Wang | Mother 
Daniel Janestch, Anita Quayle, and Mindy Meng Wang

– Rebecca Bracewell | Spirals | Bracewell

– Liam Mulligan | TacTable

Performance of the Year – Jazz/Improvised Music

– Freya Schack-Arnott, Aviva Endean, Sunny Kim, Jasmin Wing-Yin Leung, Maria Moles, and Te Kahureremoa Taumata | The Cloud Maker
Schack-Arnott, Endean, Kim, Leung, Moles, and Taumata

– Christopher Hale | Ritual Diamonds
Simon Barker, Theo Carbo, Christopher Hale, Andrea Keller, Woo Minyoung, and Jamie Oehlers

– Daniel Jenatsch, Anita Quayle, and Mindy Meng Wang | When
Jenatsch, Quayle, and Wang

– Sophie Min | Barefaced
Shamin (Benjamin Shannon and Sophie Min)

Performance of the Year – Notated Composition

– Kate Neal | While You Sleep
Jacob Abela, Phoebe Green, Isabel Hede, Zachary Johnston, and David Moran

– Dr. Lou Bennett AM | nyernur, nyarkur – to see, to hear
Omega Ensemble and Dr. Bennett AM

– Joe Chindamo | Ligeia
Colin Prichard, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and conductor Brad Cohen

– Matthew Shlomowitz | Hey Hey It’s Tuesday
Speak Percussion

Award for Excellence in Music Education

– Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) for ANAM Set Festival

– Laura Andrew & Elizabeth Jigalin for Cobar High School’s Sounds & Stories

– Musica Viva Australia for Musica Viva Australia National Education Program

– Western Australia Youth Jazz Orchestra (WAYJO) for WAYJO 2022 Annual Pathways Programs

Award for Excellence in a Regional Area

– Alluvium for Paper on Skin soundtrack

– Anne Boyd, Olive Pink Botanic Garden and Desert Song Festival for Olive Pink Opera

– Southern Cross Soloists for Bangalow Music Festival

– Sydney Improvised Music Association (SIMA) for Orange Winter Jazz Festival and Regional Touring Program

Award for Excellence in Experimental Practice

– Chamber Made for My Self in That Moment

– Aviva Endean for Stranger

– Eve Klein for City Symphony

– Lamorna Nightingale for BackStage Music

Among the works by the finalists, themes included First Nations culture and community, international traditional and folk cultures, plus musical responses to pain and recovery and to LGBTIQA+ histories and experiences.

The award ceremony will be held on August 15, 2023, at Carriageworks, Sydney, Gadigal land. 

The event will also present its Luminary Awards, which celebrates those who have made sustained contributions to Australian art music, and the Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music, whose winner will be determined by the APRA board of directors.