Barry Ernest Conyngham (born 27 August 1944) is an Australian composer and academic. He has over 70 published works and over 30 recordings featuring his compositions, and his works have been premiered or performed in Australia, Japan, North and South America, the United Kingdom and Europe. His output is largely for

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

, ensemble or dramatic forces. He is an Emeritus Professor of both the

University of Wollongong The University of Wollongong (UOW) is an Australian public university, public research university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, approximately south of Sydney. , the university had an enrolment of more than 33,000 s ...

and

Southern Cross University Southern Cross University (SCU) is an Australian public university, with campuses at Lismore and Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales, and at Coolangatta, the most southern suburb of the Gold Coast in Queensland. In 2019, it was ranke ...

.Trinity College, The University of Melbourne
He is former Dean of the Faculty of the Fine Arts and Music at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

Biography

Conyngham was born in Sydney. He was initially interested in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

,Users:bugpond.com
and studied with Raymond Hanson and Richard Meale but turned his attention to orchestral writing in the mid-1960s with encouragement from

Peter Sculthorpe Peter Joshua Sculthorpe (29 April 1929 – 8 August 2014) was an Australian composer. Much of his music resulted from an interest in the music of countries neighbouring Australia as well as from the impulse to bring together aspects of Aborigi ...

. He completed a Bachelor of Arts at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

in 1967, and a Master of Arts (Hons.) at the same university in 1971. In 1970 he visited Japan on a

Churchill Fellowship Winston Churchill Memorial Trusts (WCMT) are three independent but related living memorials to Sir Winston Churchill, based in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. They exist for the purpose of administering Churchill Fellowships, a ...

, where he studied with

Toru Takemitsu TORU or Toru may refer to: *TORU, spacecraft system *Tōru (given name), Japanese male given name *Toru, Pakistan, village in Mardan District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan *Tõru Tõru is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Es ...

. This was unusual, as Australian composers typically chose Europe and Britain as their location for further study. In 1972, he went to the United States on a

Harkness Fellowship The Harkness Fellowship (previously known as the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship) is a program run by the Commonwealth Fund of New York City. This fellowship was established to reciprocate the Rhodes Scholarships and enable Fellows from several co ...

and gained a Certificate of Post-Doctoral Studies from the

University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...

in 1973. He was a Fellow of

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

1973–74, and Composer-in-Residence at the University of Aix-Marseille in 1974–75. He was a lecturer at the University of Melbourne from 1975 to 1979, then Senior Lecturer 1975–79. He was a visiting scholar at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

, was a Senior

Fulbright Fellow The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people o ...

in 1982, and that year gained a Doctorate in Music from the University of Melbourne. He became professor and head of the School of Creative Arts at the

1989–94. He was the Foundation Vice-Chancellor of

1994–2000, based in Lismore, New South Wales.Harvard University Gazette
He was the first musician to hold the chair of Australian studies at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

(2000–2001).Swiss Global Artistic Foundation
In 1978, he won the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award (he won it again in 2008). In 1997, he was appointed a Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AM), "for service to music as a composer and to music education and administration". In 2000, Barry Conyngham was invited to give the second annual Peggy Glanville-Hicks address for the Sydney Spring Festival. In 2003, he was given a commission by the Ian Potter Music Commission Fellowship. Conyngham has been involved with a number of arts organisations, including the World Music Council,

Opera Australia Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, New South Wales, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with t ...

, the

Australian Music Centre The Australian Music Centre (AMC), founded as Australia Music Centre in 1974 and known as Sounds Australian in the 1990s, is a national organisation promoting and supporting art music in Australia. It operates mainly as a service organisation, a ...

and the Swiss Global Artistic Foundation. He has also been chairman of the Music Board of the

Australia Council Creative Australia, formerly known as the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announ ...

. After retiring from academic life to concentrate on composition and music performance, on 22 December 2010 he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of the VCA and Music at the University of Melbourne.

Works

* ''Bennelong'' (about the Australian Aborigine

Bennelong Woollarawarre Bennelong ( 1764 – 3 January 1813) was a senior man of the Eora, an Aboriginal Australian people of the Port Jackson area, at the time of the first British settlement in Australia. Bennelong served as an interlocutor between ...

; included puppets by Mirka Mora) PUBLISHED SCORES (Universal Edition London, Vienna. Boosey & Hawkes London, Sydney. Hal Leonard/CoEdition Melbourne.) * CRISIS: THOUGHTS IN A CITY (1968) for orchestra UE 29004 * THE LITTLE SHERIFF (1969) for solo piano UE 29132 * FIVE WINDOWS (1969) for orchestra UE 29007 * THREE (1969) for string quartet and percussion UE 29010 * FIVE (1970) for wind quintet UE 29088 * WATER...FOOTSTEPS...TIME... (1970) for orchestra UE 29060 * ICE CARVING (1970) for orchestra UE 29085 * PLAYBACK (1972) for solo contrabass and 4-channel tape UE 29081 * WITHOUT GESTURE (1973) for orchestra UE 29080 * FROM VOSS (1973) for soprano and percussion UE 29090(10) * EDWARD JOHN EYRE (1971–73) chamber opera UE 29067 * SNOWFLAKE (1973) solo for keyboards UE 29082 * SIX (1971) for percussion and orchestra UE 29128 * MIRROR IMAGES (1975) for ensemble UE 29127 * NED (1974–77) opera UE 29133 * SKY (1977) for string orchestra UE 29212 * THE APOLOGY OF BONY ANDERSON (1978) opera UE 29218 * MIRAGES (1978) for orchestra UE 29223 * BONY ANDERSON (1978) chamber opera UE 29225 * SHADOWS OF NOH Concerto for Double Bass (1979) UE 29244(20) * BASHO (1980) for soprano and ensemble UE 29239 * JOURNEYS (1980) solo wind (clarinets and saxophones) UE 29242 * VIOLA (1981) for solo viola UE 29222 * IMAGINARY LETTERS (1981) for chamber choir UE 29230 * HORIZONS, Concerto for Orchestra (1980) UE 29270 * SOUTHERN CROSS, Concerto for Violin and Piano (1981) UE 29252 * DWELLINGS (1982) for ensemble UE 29255 * VOICINGS (1983) for ensemble and tape UE 29265 * CELLO CONCERTO (1984) for cello and string orchestra UE 29262 * FLY (1982–84) opera UE 29338(30) * PREVIEW (1984) for solo cello UE 29292 * ANTIPODES (1984–85) for orchestra, chorus and soloists UE 29300 * GENERATIONS (1985) for orchestra UE 29300 * THE OATH OF BAD BROWN BILL (1985) children's opera UE 29303 * RECURRENCES (1986) for large orchestra UE29323 * VAST I 'The Sea' (1987) for orchestra UE 29326 * VAST II 'The Coast' (1987) for orchestra UE 29329 * VAST III 'The Centre' (1987) for orchestra UE 29332 * VAST IV 'The Cities' (1987) for orchestra UE 29335 * GLIMPSES (1987) for chamber orchestra UE 29348(40) * BENNELONG (1988) puppet opera UE 29345 * MATILDA (1988) chorus and orchestra UE 29340 * STREAMS (1988) for flute, harp and viola UE 29350 * MONUMENTS, Concerto for Piano (1989) UE 29400 * WATERWAYS, Concerto for Viola (1990) UE 29401 * CLOUDLINES, Concerto for Harp (1991) UE 29500 * AWAKENINGS (1991) for solo harp UE 29501 * SHININGS (1992) for ensemble UE 29550 * DECADES (1992) for orchestra UE 29552 * BUNDANON (1994) for piano and orchestra Boosey&Hawkes(50) * AFTERIMAGES (1993) for koto and percussion UE 29560 * AFTERIMAGES 2 (1994) for koto and orchestra Boosey&Hawkes * DAWNING (1996) for orchestra Boosey&Hawkes * NOSTALGIA (1997) for string orchestra Boosey&Hawkes * PASSING (1998) for orchestra Boosey&Hawkes * YEARNINGS (1999) for ensemble Boosey&Hawkes * STRING QUARTET (1999) Boosey&Hawkes * SEASONS (2000) for percussion and orchestra Boosey&Hawkes * FLUTE (2001) for solo flute Boosey&Hawkes * ANTIPODS (2001) for two pianos Boosey&Hawkes(60) * ORGAN (2001) for organ Boosey&Hawkes * FIX (2001–2004) for solo baritone and orchestra Boosey&Hawkes * PLAYGROUND (2002) for violin, clarinet and piano Boosey&Hawkes * VEILS 1 (2003) for solo piano Boosey&Hawkes * VEILS 2 (2003) for solo piano (written for the Indonesian pianist Ananda Sukarlan ) Boosey&Hawkes * DREAMS GO WANDERING STILL (2003) orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition * CATHEDRAL 1 (2005) for cello and piano Hal Leonard/CoEdition * NOW THAT DARKNESS (2005) for orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition * CATHEDRAL 2 (2006) for clarinet and piano Hal Leonard/CoEdition * TO THE EDGE (2006) for chamber orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition (70) * ELECTRIC LENIN (2005–6) chamber opera Hal Leonard/CoEdition * STRING QUARTET 3 (2007) (Bushfire Dreaming) Hal Leonard/CoEdition * CALA TUENT (2007–8) orchestra & folk instruments Hal Leonard/CoEdition * KANGAROO ISLAND, Concerto for Double Bass (2009) Hal Leonard/CoEdition * SHOWBOAT KALANG (2010) for ensemble Hal Leonard/CoEdition * GARDENER OF TIME (2009–11) for orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition * FALLINGWATER (2011) two bassoons and orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition * SILHOUETTES (2011) Flute and Guitar Hal Leonard/CoEdition * SYMPHONY (2012) for orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition * TIME TIDES TENDERNESS (2013) piano trio and strings Hal Leonard/CoEdition(80) * DRYSPELL...DELUGE (2014) Ensemble Hal Leonard/CoEdition * ANZAC (2014) for Nine Soloist and orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition * GATHERING (2015) for 8–24 cellos Hal Leonard/CoEdition * DIASPORAS (2016) for orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition * PETRACHOR (2017) for Chamber Orchestra Composer * BUSHFIRE DREAMING (2018) for String Orchestra Composer * ONE SMALL STEP (2019) for orchestra Hal Leonard/Composer * MALLORCA SERENADE (2019) Guitar & Chamber Orchestra Composer * HAIKU (2021) for piano Composer * SYMPHONY 2(2021) for orchestra Composer * HAIKU (2022) for Piano CoEdition * IMAGES (2023) fro Alto Saxophone and Piano CoEdition * SHORELINE (2024) for Orchestra (Melbourne Grammar Senior School Orchestra) CoEdition * FULL MOON (2024) for Orchestra CoEdition

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions o ...

. They commenced in 1987. ! , - ,

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

, ''Southern Cross Ice Carving'' , Best Classical Album , , ARIA Award previous winners. , -

Sources

Harvard University Gazette

References

External links

Barry Conyngham : Represented Artist
(Australian Music Centre) {{DEFAULTSORT:Conyngham, Barry 1944 births ARIA Award winners Living people Australian male classical composers Australian music educators Musicians from Sydney Academic staff of Southern Cross University Academic staff of the University of Wollongong University of Sydney alumni University of California, San Diego alumni 20th-century Australian classical composers 21st-century Australian classical composers Harkness Fellows Princeton University fellows Academic staff of the University of Melbourne University of Melbourne alumni Members of the Order of Australia Winners of the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award 20th-century Australian male musicians 21st-century Australian male musicians