Anne Boyd
Encyclopedia
Anne Elizabeth Boyd AM
(born 10 April 1946) is an Australian composer and Professor of Music at the University of Sydney
.
Her father died when she was age 3, and her mother sent her to live with relatives on a sheep station (Maneroo) near Longreach, in central Queensland
. This intimate experience with the Australian landscape – its expansiveness, its dramatic changes, and its "indescribable energy" – had a profound influence on her future as a composer. She began composing while still at Maneroo, at the age of eight, for the resources she had available: recorder and voice. She moved to Canberra
aged 11, and although she was pleased to be reunited with her mother, she missed the beauty of the Outback
terrain.
In New South Wales
, she received her education at Albury High School
and Hornsby Girls' High School
.
Boyd studied music at the University of Sydney
, where she was one of Peter Sculthorpe
's first students. Sculthorpe had a profound influence on her; she said that his music was the first time she had heard music which expressed her experience of the Australian landscape. (In the early 1970s she and Sculthorpe were engaged to be married, but they broke the engagement as they believed one composer in a household was enough.) After receiving her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree, she received a PhD in composition from the University of York
in England.
from 1972–77. She is currently Pro Dean (Academic) of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music
at the University of Sydney
where she continues to teach and to conduct research. In 1996 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia
for her contributions to music as a composer and as an educator .
Boyd's struggle to maintain funding for music courses in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Sydney was featured in the documentary Facing the Music, 2001. The Department of Music was incorporated into the Sydney Conservatorium at the same university from the start of 2005.
Boyd was the recipient of a Special Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music at the APRA/AMC Classical Music Awards in 2005.
) and Indonesia
(such as the gamelan
orchestra and the Balinese modes).
She is a Christian, and many of her works are of a spiritual or meditative nature, such as the a cappella
work As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams (1975). She has written song cycle
s, opera, piano, choral, orchestral and chamber music
. Her musical compositions include: Goldfish Through Summer Rain 1979, The Little Mermaid 1980, Black Sun 1990, Revelations of Divine Love 1995, Meditations on a Chinese Character 1996, A Vision: Jesus Reassures His Mother 1999, and YuYa 2005. CD's include: Meditations on a Chinese Character 1997, and Crossing a Bridge of Dreams 2000.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 10 April 1946) is an Australian composer and Professor of Music at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
.
Early life
Anne Boyd was born in Sydney to James Boyd and Annie Freda Deason Boyd (née Osborn).Her father died when she was age 3, and her mother sent her to live with relatives on a sheep station (Maneroo) near Longreach, in central Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. This intimate experience with the Australian landscape – its expansiveness, its dramatic changes, and its "indescribable energy" – had a profound influence on her future as a composer. She began composing while still at Maneroo, at the age of eight, for the resources she had available: recorder and voice. She moved to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
aged 11, and although she was pleased to be reunited with her mother, she missed the beauty of the Outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
terrain.
In New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, she received her education at Albury High School
Albury High School
Albury High School is a state high school located in the New South Wales city of Albury, Australia. Built in 1920, this large school hosts over 1300 students to this date.-Facilities:...
and Hornsby Girls' High School
Hornsby Girls' High School
Hornsby Girls' High School is an academically selective, public high school for girls, located in Hornsby, a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Founded in 1930, the school's first principal was Sarah Agnes Angus Brewster....
.
Boyd studied music at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, where she was one of Peter Sculthorpe
Peter Sculthorpe
Peter Joshua Sculthorpe AO OBE is an Australian composer. Much of his music has resulted from an interest in the music of Australia's neighbours as well as from the impulse to bring together aspects of native Australian music with that of the heritage of the West...
's first students. Sculthorpe had a profound influence on her; she said that his music was the first time she had heard music which expressed her experience of the Australian landscape. (In the early 1970s she and Sculthorpe were engaged to be married, but they broke the engagement as they believed one composer in a household was enough.) After receiving her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree, she received a PhD in composition from the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
in England.
Career
In 1990, Boyd became the first Australian and the first woman to be appointed to the Chair of Music at the University of Sydney. Prior to that Boyd was the Foundation Head of the Department of Music at the University of Hong Kong from 1981–90 and taught at the University of SussexUniversity of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
from 1972–77. She is currently Pro Dean (Academic) of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
The Sydney Conservatorium of Music is one of the oldest and most prestigious music schools in Australia...
at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
where she continues to teach and to conduct research. In 1996 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
for her contributions to music as a composer and as an educator .
Boyd's struggle to maintain funding for music courses in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Sydney was featured in the documentary Facing the Music, 2001. The Department of Music was incorporated into the Sydney Conservatorium at the same university from the start of 2005.
Boyd was the recipient of a Special Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music at the APRA/AMC Classical Music Awards in 2005.
Music
Many of Boyd's compositions have an East Asian influence, especially the music of Japan (such as the wood flute and the Japanese modeJapanese mode
The Japanese mode is a term for a pentatonic musical scale which is used commonly in traditional Japanese music. The intervals of the scale are major second, minor second, major third, minor second, and major third - the formula would be 1 2 b3 5 b6.In addition to being used almost exclusively in...
) and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
(such as the gamelan
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
orchestra and the Balinese modes).
She is a Christian, and many of her works are of a spiritual or meditative nature, such as the a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
work As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams (1975). She has written song cycle
Song cycle
A song cycle is a group of songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a single entity. As a rule, all of the songs are by the same composer and often use words from the same poet or lyricist. Unification can be achieved by a narrative or a persona common to the songs, or even, as in Schumann's...
s, opera, piano, choral, orchestral and chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
. Her musical compositions include: Goldfish Through Summer Rain 1979, The Little Mermaid 1980, Black Sun 1990, Revelations of Divine Love 1995, Meditations on a Chinese Character 1996, A Vision: Jesus Reassures His Mother 1999, and YuYa 2005. CD's include: Meditations on a Chinese Character 1997, and Crossing a Bridge of Dreams 2000.
External links
- Composer biography Australian Music Centre
- Revelations of Divine Love on ABC Classic FM's classic/amp