Judith Clingan
Encyclopedia
Judith Clingan AM is an Australian composer
, conductor, performer and music educator. Since 1997, she has been the Director of Wayfarers Australia (formerly Waldorf Wayfarers) Australia Wide Choir.
to Victor Lawrence Clingan and Marian Dorothy Tasker. She was educated at Hornsby Girls' High School
, the University of Sydney
, and the University of New South Wales
.
Following her graduation from the University of New South Wales, Clingan moved to Canberra
to study languages at the Australian National University
. In 1967 she founded the Canberra Children's Choir (now Canberra Youth Choir) and began composing music for SSA voices. She has studied voice, bassoon and composition at the Canberra School of Music (now ANU School of Music
). She studied conducting while living in Hobart
from 1972-1974. She studied music education
at the Zoltan Kodaly Pedagogical Institute of Music in Kecskemet (Hungary
) from 1981-1982.
.
In 1991 she began her involvement in Steiner education and since then has written short choral and music theatre pieces for Steiner students.
Clingan founded Voicebox Youth Opera when working in South Australia from 1994–1996 and she composed many music theatre pieces during this time.
In 1997 she founded the choir Wayfarers Australia and the Canberra vocal group The Variables.
She has been the recipient of many awards, fellowships and grants, including a Membership of the Order of Australia
for services to music, Churchill Fellowship, Australia Council
Composer Fellowship, ANU Creative Arts Fellowship, artsACT Creative Artists Fellowship, Canberra Times Artist of the Year, Sounds Australian award for her composition Kakadu, funding from Arts ACT and Arts SA, commissions for original compositions and numerous residencies in Australia.
Clingan is currently the director of Wayfarers Australia, conducts the Canberra Choral Society and The Variables.
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...
, conductor, performer and music educator. Since 1997, she has been the Director of Wayfarers Australia (formerly Waldorf Wayfarers) Australia Wide Choir.
Early life
Judith Clingan was born 19 January 1945, in Sydney, New South WalesNew 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...
to Victor Lawrence Clingan and Marian Dorothy Tasker. She was educated at 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....
, 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...
, and the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Following her graduation from the University of New South Wales, Clingan 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...
to study languages at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
. In 1967 she founded the Canberra Children's Choir (now Canberra Youth Choir) and began composing music for SSA voices. She has studied voice, bassoon and composition at the Canberra School of Music (now ANU School of Music
ANU School of Music
The School of Music is a school within the Faculty of Arts of the Australian National University. It consists of four buildings, including the main School of Music building - which contains Llewellyn Hall - and the Peter Karmel Building....
). She studied conducting while living in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
from 1972-1974. She studied music education
Music education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
at the Zoltan Kodaly Pedagogical Institute of Music in Kecskemet (Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
) from 1981-1982.
Career
In 1968 she founded the Young Music Society. In 1983 she founded Gaudeamus Music and Performing Arts (now Music For Everyone). She was the director of Gaudeamus for ten years and during this time she remained a composer, writing choral and music theatre works for the group to perform. In 1990 members of Gaudeamus performed her music theatre work Kakadu at the International Society of Music Educators conference in FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
In 1991 she began her involvement in Steiner education and since then has written short choral and music theatre pieces for Steiner students.
Clingan founded Voicebox Youth Opera when working in South Australia from 1994–1996 and she composed many music theatre pieces during this time.
In 1997 she founded the choir Wayfarers Australia and the Canberra vocal group The Variables.
She has been the recipient of many awards, fellowships and grants, including a Membership 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 services to music, Churchill Fellowship, Australia Council
Australia Council
The Australia Council, informally known as the Australia Council for the Arts, is the official arts council or arts funding body of the Government of Australia.-Function:...
Composer Fellowship, ANU Creative Arts Fellowship, artsACT Creative Artists Fellowship, Canberra Times Artist of the Year, Sounds Australian award for her composition Kakadu, funding from Arts ACT and Arts SA, commissions for original compositions and numerous residencies in Australia.
Clingan is currently the director of Wayfarers Australia, conducts the Canberra Choral Society and The Variables.
Selected works
- Puer natus = The boy that is born : liturgical drama for Christmas, 1968
- A Canticle of light, 1976
- The Lorax (words: Dr. SeussDr. SeussTheodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
), 1979 - Lux Mundi, 1985
- Rime of the Ancient Mariner (with Stephanos Malikides), 1985
- Peter Pandemonium (based on J. M. BarrieJ. M. BarrieSir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. The child of a family of small-town weavers, he was educated in Scotland. He moved to London, where he developed a career as a novelist and playwright...
's story), 1985 - Modal magic : seven songs for a cappellaA cappellaA 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...
children's choir, 1986 - Francis, or Singing is believing: a mini-operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in three acts, 1986 - Nganbra: a Canberra canticleCanticleA canticle is a hymn taken from the Bible. The term is often expanded to include ancient non-biblical hymns such as the Te Deum and certain psalms used liturgically.-Roman Catholic Church:From the Old Testament, the Roman Breviary takes seven canticles for use at Lauds, as follows:*...
(libretto: Anthony Hill), 1988 - Terra beata - terra infirma, 1989
- Seven Deadly Sins, 1990
- Kakadu (words: Marian Clingan), 1990
- Birds' Noel, 1990
- Marco : an opera for young people based on the travels of Marco PoloMarco PoloMarco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
, 1990 - Songs of solitude, 1991
- Mass of hope, 1992
- Mythical beasts, 1992
- Stony tunes, 1994
- A Pawn in the Game, 1995
- Birth pangs : for women's choir (words: David Adam), 1996
- Moomin Magic (based on Finn Family MoomintrollFinn Family MoomintrollFinn Family Moomintroll is the third in the series of Tove Jansson's Moomins books, published in 1948...
by Tove JanssonTove JanssonTove Marika Jansson was a Swedish-Finnish novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author. She is best known as the author of the Moomin books.- Biography :...
), 1999 - The Grandfather Clock (based on a book by Tony Hill), 2001
- Spiritus Sanctus Australis, 2001–2002