APRA AMCOS Luminary Award Winners: National Organisation
We are honoured to have been awarded the 2022 APRA AMCOS Luminary Award for a National Organisation at the Australian Art Music Awards last night. The Luminary Award recognises sustained leadership and contribution as an organisation, including recording, performing, commissions and facilitation of opportunities for others.
Founded by Paul Grabowsky AO in 1994, the AAO has acted as a catalyst for the transformation of contemporary music practice in Australia. Led since 2013 by prolific composer, trumpeter and sound artist, Peter Knight, the AAO embodies cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary art practices where First Nations, Asian and Western influences are indelibly woven into the fabric of the company’s identity.
Congratulations also to Paul Grabowsky for being awarded Performance of the Year: Notated Composition in recognition of Wata, which was conducted by Benjamin Northey and premiered at Hamer Hall last year: featuring the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Wilfred, David Wilfred and AAO soloists Peter Knight, Helen Svoboda, Aviva Endean and Erkki Veltheim.
A big thank you goes out to our entire team for their sustained efforts during the pandemic and as we continue to move forward. We also extend our congratulations to all of the incredible nominees and award-winners across all categories.
The Cloud Maker: six powerful women reimagine the goddess through music
Introducing the next concert of the AAO Meeting Points Series: The Cloud Maker, which premieres on Sep 10th at Nexus Arts (Adelaide) and Sep 11th at Alpha 60 Chapter House (Melbourne).
About the work:
The Cloud Maker is a collaboration that began on the snowy peaks of Canada, where Te Kahureremoa Taumata, Sunny Kim and Aviva Endean met on a residency at The Banff Centre in 2019. They connected over a story of the Maori moth goddess Raukatauri, the creation story of the Putorino, a cocoon shaped flute, and just one of the many Tāonga Pūoro (singing treasures) which Taumata plays.
In Adelaide and Melbourne, The Cloud Maker will delve deeper into their connection, with an expanded line up interweaving Te Kahureremoa's knowledge of the Maori Tāonga Pūoro (including nose flutes, bone flutes and poi) Aviva’s experimental approach to clarinets and winds and Sunny’s evocative vocals, alongside master instrumentalists Freya Schack-Arnott (cello/nyckelharpa) Jasmin Wing-Yin Leung (erhu, yehu) and Maria Moles(drums).
Reimagining folkloric stories of goddesses from their many shared heritages, The Cloud Maker’s powerful music echoes tales of creation, regeneration and transformation, and evokes a time when music and language, art and life, were intertwined.
Premiere Season Dates:
Sep 10, Nexus Arts (Adelaide)
Sep 11, Alpha 60 Chapter House (Melbourne)
Listen Up! A new music micro festival
Curated by our friends at Ensemble Offspring, Listen Up! is a micro-festival bringing together the country’s most inspiring musicians who share an obsession with new music. A smorgasbord of classical, jazz and First Nations artists come together over two unique 60-minute programs on September 11, including Allara (double bass, voice), Eric Avery (violin) and the Australian Art Orchestra (Peter Knight - Artistic Director, trumpet, electronics, David Yipininy Wilfred - yidaki, and Daniel Wilfred - voice).
The festival takes place on Sep 11th across two concerts - 6PM and 8PM, at Cell Block Theatre, National Art School in Sydney.