Gordon Hamilton (composer)
Encyclopedia
Gordon Hamilton is an Australian composer and conductor. Since 2009, he has been the Artistic Director of The Australian Voices
. He was born in Newcastle
, lived and worked in Bremen
, Germany
for five years as a conductor
and composer
and he now lives in Brisbane
.
He studied in Australia at the University of Newcastle
Conservatorium ] from 2000–2004, majoring in composition with Nigel Butterley
and piano with Carmel Lutton. At the same time, he undertook private lessons in orchestral conducting with David Banney.
In October 2003 he was invited to the City of Hakodate, Japan where he performed a solo piano program of Messiaen, Butterley and Debussy.
In 2004 Hamilton conducted the premiere of the opera The Impossible Body, by Katrina Pring, for which he and Pring received a City of Newcastle Dramatic Award(CONDA).
In January 2006, Hamilton founded Northern Spirit, a young vocal ensemble committed to contemporary choral music. In just over three years, Northern Spirit has given over fifty concerts, premiered seventeen works, and taken part in four international choral festivals. Under Hamilton’s direction, Northern Spirit has performed in Germany, Spain, France, and Iceland.
In September 2009, Hamilton moved back to Australia to take over as the new conductor and artistic director of one of Australia’s foremost vocal ensembles - The Australian Voices, which was under the direction of respected Australian composer Stephen Leek for twelve years. Hamilton sang with this acclaimed ensemble from 2000 until 2004. Several of his compositions, including Under the Shadow of Kileys Hill (2000) and Priepriggie (2009), have been commissioned by this choir and performed in many different countries.
Hamilton has also received several international compositional awards, including first prize in the [Coral Gables Congregational Church Florida] 2006 Composition Prize, with a work for strings (Reggaeton, which premiered in 2007 in Florida U.S.A.). Another of Hamilton’s string compositions (Sale el Sol, which had its premiere in 2008 in Raumberg, Austria) won the second prize at the International Chamber Days, Raumberg 2008 Composition Prize. Finally, Hamilton’s work for chamber orchestra Sinfonietta-Concertante (which was premiered by the Luxembourg Sinfonietta
in 2007 in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg) received fourth prize in the Luxembourg Sinfonietta 2007 Composition Prize .
The Australian Voices
The Australian Voices are a choral ensemble based in Brisbane, Australia.In 1993 Graeme Morton and Stephen Leek founded The Australian Voices, an ensemble of young adult singers who work to promote Australian composers. The Australian Voices has performed and promoted new Australian music...
. He was born in Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, lived and worked in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for five years as a conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and he now lives in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
He studied in Australia at the University of Newcastle
University of Newcastle, Australia
The University of Newcastle is an Australian public university that was established in 1965. The University's main and largest campus is located in Callaghan, a suburb of Newcastle in New South Wales...
Conservatorium ] from 2000–2004, majoring in composition with Nigel Butterley
Nigel Butterley
Nigel Henry Cockburn Butterley AM is an Australian composer and pianist.-Life and career:Butterley learnt to play the piano at the age of five. He attended Sydney Grammar School, but as music wasn't taught at the school at that time, he also sought training from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music....
and piano with Carmel Lutton. At the same time, he undertook private lessons in orchestral conducting with David Banney.
In October 2003 he was invited to the City of Hakodate, Japan where he performed a solo piano program of Messiaen, Butterley and Debussy.
In 2004 Hamilton conducted the premiere of the opera The Impossible Body, by Katrina Pring, for which he and Pring received a City of Newcastle Dramatic Award(CONDA).
In January 2006, Hamilton founded Northern Spirit, a young vocal ensemble committed to contemporary choral music. In just over three years, Northern Spirit has given over fifty concerts, premiered seventeen works, and taken part in four international choral festivals. Under Hamilton’s direction, Northern Spirit has performed in Germany, Spain, France, and Iceland.
In September 2009, Hamilton moved back to Australia to take over as the new conductor and artistic director of one of Australia’s foremost vocal ensembles - The Australian Voices, which was under the direction of respected Australian composer Stephen Leek for twelve years. Hamilton sang with this acclaimed ensemble from 2000 until 2004. Several of his compositions, including Under the Shadow of Kileys Hill (2000) and Priepriggie (2009), have been commissioned by this choir and performed in many different countries.
Hamilton has also received several international compositional awards, including first prize in the [Coral Gables Congregational Church Florida] 2006 Composition Prize, with a work for strings (Reggaeton, which premiered in 2007 in Florida U.S.A.). Another of Hamilton’s string compositions (Sale el Sol, which had its premiere in 2008 in Raumberg, Austria) won the second prize at the International Chamber Days, Raumberg 2008 Composition Prize. Finally, Hamilton’s work for chamber orchestra Sinfonietta-Concertante (which was premiered by the Luxembourg Sinfonietta
Luxembourg Sinfonietta
The Luxembourg Sinfonietta is an orchestral ensemble for contemporary music in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Initially it consisted of 10 to 15 instruments, including tuba, accordion, mandolin and harpsichord but now typically extends to clarinet, clarinet bass, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone,...
in 2007 in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg) received fourth prize in the Luxembourg Sinfonietta 2007 Composition Prize .