The AAO has the distinction of being awarded the 2010 Sidney Myer Performing Arts Group Award.

The award provides highly-valued peer recognition of the AAO’s work over its 17-year history and is worth $80,000.

AAO Chair Joan Spiller said: “The Australian Art Orchestra, its management and the Board are thrilled and honoured to be the recipient of this prestigious Award. The Myer Foundation plays a unique role in the Arts in Australia, and for the AAO’s contribution to be recognised in this way is particularly welcome. The prize will allow the Orchestra to explore new ground in the coming year.”

A substantial slab of the prize money will be fed into the AAO’s Commissioning Fund so that the Orchestra may continue to offer challenges to composers and musicians to write for a large ensemble of musicians skilled in both notated and improvised music. The Commissioning Fund is open to donations from individuals or groups who wish to support new, Australian contemporary music and your donation is tax deductible.

The Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards were created in 1984 by the Trustees of the Sidney Myer Fund, to mark the 50th anniversary of Sidney Myer’s death and to commemorate his life and his love for the arts.

“Sidney Myer was a great philanthropist, patron of the arts and supporter of community life. These Awards support his belief that the arts are inseparable from everyday life and a rich society is one that expresses great creative spirit,” said Carrillo Gantner, Chairman of the Trustees for the Sidney Myer Fund.

- 1st April 2011