Nicholas Vines

Nicholas Vines (born Sydney, 1976), is an Australian composer currently based in Sydney. He is particularly active at home and in the United States.

Interpreters of Vines’ work range from specialist new music ensembles to high school students. He has received prizes from the US, UK and Poland, as well as Australian honours such as APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards. His compositions are published by Faber Music, Wirripang and the Australian Music Centre. Three albums of his music are available commercially: ''Torrid Nature Scenes'' ( Stephen Drury & the Callithumpian Consort), ''Loose, Wet, Perforated'' ( Guerilla Opera) and ''Hipster Zombies From Mars'' (Ryan MacEvoy McCullough).

While at the University of Sydney, Vines’s main teachers were Anne Boyd, Peter Sculthorpe and Ross Edwards. He later completed a PhD at Harvard University, studying with Harrison Birtwistle, Bernard Rands, Magnus Lindberg, Julian Anderson, Lee Hyla, Mario Davidovsky, Judith Weir and Michael Finnissy.

Vines actively identifies with transmodernism. His compositional approach is rooted in the technical resources of the Western classical canon, while embracing sounds and ideas from an array of popular, experimental, Australian and non-Western traditions. This combination of rigour and pluralism gives rise to music at once vectored and kaleidoscopic. Vines has worked in both traditional and bespoke forms, producing some ninety-five compositions. His output includes three operas, a symphony, three sinfoniettas, three concerti, two string quartets, a piano quartet, two song cycles, numerous other chamber works, and twelve preludes, twenty-one miniatures and a variations & theme for piano, as well as many examples of choral music and ''Gebrauchsmusik''.

Vines is also a keen mentor of young composers. From 2007 to 2022, he ran the New Works Program for New England Conservatory’s Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice.SICPP 2022 His role with the Artology Fanfare Project (2014–21) was significant, and he has been intrinsic to numerous school-based Australian music seminars. Vines currently teaches at Sydney Grammar School as the Senior Master in Academic Extension (Music). One of his initiatives is Composition Club, where he has taught his students about Peter Sculthorpe, video game soundtracks, Shostakovich, and Ava Max.

Selected Works

''A Mega Masquerade'' (2023): ten dead species for sinfonietta ''Mingling Sunburst Minds'' (2023) for flute/piccolo & virtual ensemble''Ghost Rails'' (2021) for saxophone quartet''sync_for_me (1): Gothick Yarns, Motley Ridotto & Sweet, Sweet Syllabub'' (2018) for faux court orchestra

''AntipodEntoMenagerie'' (2018): twenty-one miniatures for piano with rolling preparationI. Grease On The Handlebars from ''Indie Ditties'' (2017): twelve scapes for piano''In Defence Of Toads'' (2016) for boy soprano & mixed ensemble''The Law Of The Tongue'' (2016) for string quartet''An Essayist's Prayer'' (2015) for double chorus & orchestra''Dysart's Changelings''(2014) for piano quartet''Loose, Wet, Perforated: A Morality Play in Four Ordeals'' (2011) for soprano, countertenor, contralto, baritone, Bb/bass clarinet, soprano/alto saxophone, tenor trombone, percussion and electronics''Economy Of Wax'' (2009) for soprano, flute/piccolo, viola & harp''The Butcher Of Brisbane'' (2005): carnival for solo saxophone(s) and chamber ensemble''The Hive'' (2004): A Chamber Opera In Seven Tableaux for soprano, mezzo soprano, tenor, baritone, bass, two keyboardists & electronics

Notes

External links

Nicholas Vines: websiteAustralian Music Centre BiographyNicholas Vines: SpotifyNicholas Vines: SoundCloud

References

* Mah, Eleasha (2025), ''Nicholas Vines' A Bhandari Pilgrimage Wins the 2025 Willgoss Choral Composition Prize'', accessed 15/06/25, https://www.music.unsw.edu.au/news/nicholas-vines-bhandari-pilgrimage-wins-2025-willgoss-choral-composition-prize
* Sounds Like Sydney (2024), ''Paranoia x Demon Ducks x Frankenstein x DC Universe: A Bonanzaic Palooza'', accessed 15/06/25, https://www.soundslikesydney.com.au/concert-review-paranoia-x-demon-ducks-x-frankenstein-x-dc-universe-a-bonanzaic-palooza/
* Sounds Like Sydney (2022), ''Nicholas Vines And Rob Hao On Vines’ Indie Ditties'', accessed 10/04/24, https://www.soundslikesydney.com.au/nicholas-vines-and-rob-hao-on-vines-indie-ditties
* Harry, Hollis (2018), ''New music: Reviews of this week's CD releases'', accessed 10/04/24, https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/music/2018/07/05/new-music-333
* PARMA Recordings (2018), ''THE INSIDE STORY: Nick Vines and HIPSTER ZOMBIES FROM MARS'', accessed 10/04/24, https://www.parmarecordings.com/the-inside-story-nick-vines-and-hipster-zombies-from-mars
* Vines, Nicholas (2018), ''Insight-Hipster Zombies from Mars'', Australian Music Centre, accessed 23/12/21, https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/article/insight-hipster-zombies-from-mars
* Vittes, Laurence (2018), ''VINES Loose, Wet, Perforated'', Gramophone, accessed 10/04/24, https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/vines-loose-wet-perforated
* Keebaugh, Aaron (2016), ''Guerilla Opera revives Vines’ dark, thoughtful morality play'', Boston Classical Review, accessed 12/04/24, https://bostonclassicalreview.com/2016/09/guerilla-opera-revives-vines-dark-thoughtful-morality-play/
* Nolan, Paul (2016), ''ACACIA QUARTET PRESENTS ‘THE HARP AND THE HARPOON’ @THE UTZON ROOM'', Sydney Arts Guide, accessed 12/04/24, https://sydneyartsguide.com.au/acacia-quartet-presents-the-harp-and-the-harpoon-the-utzon-room/
* Guerrieri, Matthew (2015), ''At SICPP, modernism in moderation on Monday'', The Boston Globe, accessed 10/04/24, https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2015/06/16/sicpp-modernism-moderation-monday/skWQwNPsBLsGAc98URJMyI/story.html
* Kerry, Gordon (2015), ''Piano Inside Out'', The Music Trust, accessed 12/4/24, https://musictrust.com.au/piano-inside-out-works-by-gyger-vines-rojas-young-whale-page-and-moles/
* Lorenzon, Matthew (2014), ''Metropolis: Syzygy Ensemble, Logic'', Partial Durations, accessed 12/4/24, https://partialdurations.com/tag/nicholas-vines/
* Limelight (2013), ''Review: Nicholas Vines: Torrid Nature Scenes (Callithumpian Consort)'', accessed 10/04/24, https://limelight-arts.com.au/tag/callithumpian
* da Fonseca-Wollheim, Corinna (2013), ''Wiggling Worms and Fluttering Birds'', The New York Times, accessed 11/4/24, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/arts/music/counter-induction-at-the-tenri-cultural-institute.html
* Guerrieri, Matthew (2011), ''New England Prospect: Looking Backward'', NewMusicBox, accessed 12/4/24, https://newmusicusa.org/nmbx/new-englands-prospect-looking-backward/
* Patterson, David (2011), ''Radius’s Audial Splashes and Sixth Sense'', The Boston Musical Intelligencer, accessed 12/4/24, https://www.classical-scene.com/2011/10/02/radius-2/
* Schwartz, Lloyd (2011), ''Guerilla Opera's Loose, Wet, Perforated'', The Boston Phoenix, accessed 12/4/24, https://thephoenix.com/Boston/music/127063-guerilla-operas-loose-wet-perforated/
* Catlett, Jason (2009), ''The Origin Cycle'', TimeOut Sydney, accessed 12/4/24, https://petergodfreysmith.com/Origin_Cycle_TimeOut_Sydney_09.pdf
* Titcomb, Caldwell (2009), ''It's 'Sick Puppy' Time'', the arts fuse, accessed 12/4/24, https://artsfuse.org/1101/classical-music-review-it%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98sick-puppy%e2%80%99-time/
* Reid, Chris (2006), ''Singing the unheroic hero'', accessed 12/04/24, https://w.realtimearts.net/article.php?id=8324
* The Age (2004), The Hive, accessed 12/04/24, https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/the-hive-20040723-gdyb5i.html
* SICPP (2022), http://sicpp.org/speaker-lineup/nicholas-vines, accessed 12/04/24
* https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/artist/vines-nicholas, accessed 23/12/21
* https://www.australiancomposers.com.au/pages/nicholas-vines, accessed 10/04/24
* https://www.navonarecords.com/artists/nicholas-vines, accessed 10/04/24
* https://www.move.com.au/artist/nicholas-vines, accessed 10/04/24
* https://menziesfoundation.org.au/nicks-dual-career-the-way-of-the-future, accessed 11/04/24
* https://limelight-arts.com.au/features/music-matters, accessed 10/04/24)

1976 births
21st-century Australian classical composers
Australian classical composers
Australian male classical composers
Harvard University alumni
Harvard University faculty
Living people
21st-century Australian male musicians

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