Matthew Hindson
Encyclopedia
Matthew John Hindson AM (born 1968) is an Australian composer.
in 1968. He studied composition at the Universities of Sydney
and Melbourne
with composers including Peter Sculthorpe
, Eric Gross
, Brenton Broadstock
and Ross Edwards
.
Hindson's works have been performed by ensembles and orchestras throughout his native Australia, including most of its professional symphony orchestras and chamber groups. Overseas, his compositions have been presented in New Zealand, Germany, France, Austria, the UK, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Canada and Thailand, and have been featured at such key events as the 1994 and 2000 Gaudeamus Music Weeks in Amsterdam
, the 1997 ISCM Festival in Copenhagen
and the 1998 Paris Composers Rostrum.
His music often displays influences of popular music styles within a classical music context, and, as a result, musical elements such as driving repeated rhythms and high dynamic levels are typically found in his works. Indeed, directness and immediacy are common features in much of his music. One of his most notable works, Speed (1996), was thought by some to be inspired by the 1994 hit film Speed; however, Hindson has denied this connection.
In 1999 Hindson was the attached composer to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
. Works written during this attachment include Boom-Box and In Memoriam: Amplified Cello Concerto (the latter was subsequently nominated for an APRA-AMC award for Best Orchestral Work of 2001). He was also the attached composer with the Sydney Youth Orchestra
in the same year, for which he was commissioned to write a violin concerto
. In 2002 he was the featured composer with Musica Viva Australia
for which he has written a number of new commissions for Kristjan Järvi
's Absolute Ensemble, baroque violinist Andrew Manze
, the Australian oboe Virtuoso Diana Doherty
and the Belcea String Quartet, and Duo Sol.
In May 2002, the Sydney Dance Company
toured Australia to much acclaim with a new 90-minute production, Ellipse, choreographed by their Artistic Director, Graeme Murphy
, and danced entirely to Hindson's music. Playing to packed houses, it broke box-office records for the SDC. They toured it to the USA in 2004.
In September 2003, Matthew was a featured composer at the Vale of Glamorgan
Festival in Wales, during which fourteen of his works were performed by a variety of ensembles. He was the attached composer to The Queensland Orchestra
in 2003/2004, one result of which was his Percussion Concerto, written for Dame Evelyn Glennie
and premiered in Brisbane
in 2006. In addition, his music was set to a full-evening dance presentation by Ballett Schindowski in Gelsenkirchen
, Germany, in January 2004.
Other compositions include two works for The Orchestras of Australia Network. Future works include a flute concerto entitled House Music for American flautist Marina Piccinini
, premiered with the London Philharmonic Orchestra
in December 2006, and a piano trio. Matthew's music is published by Faber Music
(UK). A disc of three of his orchestral pieces was recorded by Trust Records with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
and released in August 2008.
As well as working as a composer, Matthew Hindson lectures in the Arts Music Unit and is Associate Professor and Chair of Composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music
. He has recently co-authored a book entitled "Music Composition Toolbox", published by Science Press. Hindson is the artistic director of the Aurora Festival, a new festival of contemporary music based in Western Sydney which premiered in April 2006.
Biography
Matthew Hindson was born in WollongongWollongong, New South Wales
Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
in 1968. He studied composition at the Universities 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 Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
with composers including 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...
, Eric Gross
Eric Gross
Eric Gross AM was an Austrian-Australian pianist and composer.-Biography:Gross was born in Vienna and emigrated to England in 1938. From the age of fourteen, he worked as a pianist in bands and orchestras...
, Brenton Broadstock
Brenton Broadstock
Brenton Broadstock is an Australian composer.Brenton Broadstock - Australian Composer - was born in Melbourne, Australia. He studied History, Politics and Music at Monash University, and later composition and theory with Donald Freund at the University of Memphis in the USA and with Peter...
and Ross Edwards
Ross Edwards (composer)
Ross Edwards is an Australian composer of a wide variety of music including orchestral and chamber music, choral music, children's music, opera and film music. He is not to be confused with a British up and coming singer-songwriter of the same name.-Life:Ross Edwards was born in Sydney...
.
Hindson's works have been performed by ensembles and orchestras throughout his native Australia, including most of its professional symphony orchestras and chamber groups. Overseas, his compositions have been presented in New Zealand, Germany, France, Austria, the UK, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Canada and Thailand, and have been featured at such key events as the 1994 and 2000 Gaudeamus Music Weeks in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, the 1997 ISCM Festival in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and the 1998 Paris Composers Rostrum.
His music often displays influences of popular music styles within a classical music context, and, as a result, musical elements such as driving repeated rhythms and high dynamic levels are typically found in his works. Indeed, directness and immediacy are common features in much of his music. One of his most notable works, Speed (1996), was thought by some to be inspired by the 1994 hit film Speed; however, Hindson has denied this connection.
In 1999 Hindson was the attached composer to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra , commonly known as the Sydney Symphony, is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney...
. Works written during this attachment include Boom-Box and In Memoriam: Amplified Cello Concerto (the latter was subsequently nominated for an APRA-AMC award for Best Orchestral Work of 2001). He was also the attached composer with the Sydney Youth Orchestra
Sydney Youth Orchestra
The Sydney Youth Orchestra , is one of Sydney's premier youth orchestras and is the flagship orchestra of the Sydney Youth Orchestras family. The SYO consists of around 100 skilled young musicians residing around Sydney....
in the same year, for which he was commissioned to write a violin concerto
Violin concerto
A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin and instrumental ensemble, customarily orchestra. Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day...
. In 2002 he was the featured composer with Musica Viva Australia
Musica Viva Australia
Musica Viva Australia is the oldest independent performing arts organisation in Australia and the world's largest entrepreneur of chamber music. It was formed in 1945 in Sydney by violist Richard Goldner...
for which he has written a number of new commissions for Kristjan Järvi
Kristjan Järvi
Kristjan Järvi is an Estonian-American conductor. Järvi is the younger son of Neeme Järvi, and the brother of conductor Paavo Järvi and flutist Maarika Järvi....
's Absolute Ensemble, baroque violinist Andrew Manze
Andrew Manze
Andrew Manze is an English violinist and conductor.As a guest conductor Manze has regular relationships with a number of leading international orchestras including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Munich Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra,...
, the Australian oboe Virtuoso Diana Doherty
Diana Doherty
Diana Doherty is an Australian oboist, currently Principal Oboe with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.-Life:Diana Doherty was born in Brisbane, where she began her education. She attended Brisbane State High School...
and the Belcea String Quartet, and Duo Sol.
In May 2002, the Sydney Dance Company
Sydney Dance Company
The Sydney Dance Company is one of Australia's most successful and well-known contemporary dance companies. The company was founded in 1969 as the dance-in-education group Ballet in a Nutshell by Suzanne Musitz , later changing its name to Athletes and Dancers, and Dance Company ...
toured Australia to much acclaim with a new 90-minute production, Ellipse, choreographed by their Artistic Director, Graeme Murphy
Graeme Murphy
Graeme Murphy is an Australian dance choreographer. Together with his fellow dancer Janet Vernon, he has guided Sydney Dance Company to become one of Australia's most successful and well-known dance companies....
, and danced entirely to Hindson's music. Playing to packed houses, it broke box-office records for the SDC. They toured it to the USA in 2004.
In September 2003, Matthew was a featured composer at the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
Festival in Wales, during which fourteen of his works were performed by a variety of ensembles. He was the attached composer to The Queensland Orchestra
Queensland Symphony Orchestra
The Queensland Symphony Orchestra is an Australian orchestra, based principally in Brisbane in the state of Queensland.The QSO played its first concert on 26 March 1947, with the orchestra consisting of 45 musicians, conducted by Percy Code. John Farnsworth Hall was recruited from the Sydney...
in 2003/2004, one result of which was his Percussion Concerto, written for Dame Evelyn Glennie
Evelyn Glennie
Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, DBE is a Scottish virtuoso percussionist. She was the first full-time solo percussionist in 20th-century western society.-Early life:Glennie was born and raised in Aberdeenshire...
and premiered 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...
in 2006. In addition, his music was set to a full-evening dance presentation by Ballett Schindowski in Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
, Germany, in January 2004.
Other compositions include two works for The Orchestras of Australia Network. Future works include a flute concerto entitled House Music for American flautist Marina Piccinini
Marina Piccinini
Marina Piccinini is an Italian American virtuoso flautist. She is noted for her performances of compositions by Mozart and Bach, and has performed with many of the world's top orchestras and conductors.-Biography:...
, premiered with the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
in December 2006, and a piano trio. Matthew's music is published by Faber Music
Faber Music
Faber Music is a British sheet music publisher best known for contemporary classical music. It also publishes music tutor books, and in 2005 acquired popular music publisher International Music Publications....
(UK). A disc of three of his orchestral pieces was recorded by Trust Records with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is the national orchestra of New Zealand. It is a crown entity owned by the Government of New Zealand, with 90 full-time players....
and released in August 2008.
As well as working as a composer, Matthew Hindson lectures in the Arts Music Unit and is Associate Professor and Chair of Composition at 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...
. He has recently co-authored a book entitled "Music Composition Toolbox", published by Science Press. Hindson is the artistic director of the Aurora Festival, a new festival of contemporary music based in Western Sydney which premiered in April 2006.
Honours
Matthew Hindson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2006, for "service to the arts as a leading Australian composer and teacher of music, and through the wide promotion of musical works to new audiences".Orchestral
- Homage to Metallica, 1994/97
- Speed, 1996
- LiteSpeed, 1996
- Rave-Elation (Extended Mix), 1997
- RPM, 1996/98
- Rave-Elation (Schindowski Mix), 1997/2003
- Boom-Box, 1999
- In Memoriam: Amplified Cello Concerto, 2000
- Violin Concerto (Australian Postcards), 2000
- Headbanger, 2001
- Rave-Elation, 2002
- A Symphony of Modern Objects, 2003
- Auto-Electric, 2003
- Percussion Concerto, 2005
- An Infernal Machine, 2006
- House Music (Flute Concerto), 2006
- Flash Madness, 2006
- Kalkadungu (co-composed with William Barton), 2007
- Ictalurus Punctatus, 2008
- Dangerous Creatures, 2008
- Symphony No 2: e=mc2, 2009
- Energy, 2009
Ensemble
- Lucky Seven for 10 percussionists, 1995
- Siegfried Interlude No.4 – The Ride of the (Viola) Valkyries for 8 violas, 1998
- Technologic 1–2 for string orchestra and percussion, 1998
- Technologic 145, chamber ensemble of 13 players, 1998
- Siegfried Interlude No.1 for brass ensemble, 1999
- Whitewater for 12 solo strings, 1999–2000
- The Rave and the Nightingale for string quartet and string orchestra, 2001
- Comin' Right Atcha, amplified chamber ensemble of 8 players, 2002
- Comin' Right Atcha, chamber ensemble of 14 players, 2002, 2006
- Balkan Connection string orchestra, 2003
- Spirit Song, chamber ensemble of 5 players, 2003/2006
- Didjeribluegrass didjeridu, string orchestra and percussion, 2005
- Song and Dance, 2006
- Septet, 2009
- Central Australian Song chamber ensemble of 6 players, 2009
- Crime and Punishment double-bass and string orchestra, 2009
- Beauty cello and chamber ensemble of 6 players, 2009
Chamber music
- Prelude and Estampie for viola and piano, 1986
- Four Score for 4 solo violins, 1992
- Little Chrissietina's Magic Fantasy for 2 violins, 1994
- DeathStench for amplified flute, amplified clarinet and piano, 1995
- Nintendo Music for clarinet in A and piano, 1995
- Five Movements for saxophone quartet, 1996
- GameBoy Music for clarinet and piano, 1997
- Two Marine Portraits for violin, viola and electronics, 1997
- Chrissietina's Magic Fantasy for violin and viola, 1998
- Ignition: Positive for trumpet or alto saxophone and piano, 1998
- Jungle Fever for cello or tenor saxophone and piano, 1998
- Night Pieces for oboe or soprano saxophone and piano, 1998
- Love Serenade for cello or bassoon and piano, 1998
- n-trance for solo harp, 1998
- Lament for viola and piano, 1996/2002
- Rush for guitar and string quartet, 1999
- Rush for oboe and string quartet, 1999/2001
- Siegfried Interlude No.2 for wind octet, or soprano saxophone and piano, or clarinet and piano, 1999
- Siegfried Interlude No.3 for 3 percussionists, 1999
- Always On Time for violin and cello, 2001
- Pulse Magnet for 2 pianos and 2 percussion, 2001
- Baroquerie, Sonata for Baroque Violin and Harpsichord, 2002
- String Quartet No. 1 (Industrial Night Music), 2003
- Basement Art Guru and Other Pieces for solo violin, 2004
- Didjeribluegrass for didjeridu and string quartet, 2005
- Piano Trio, 2006
- Song of Life for solo violin, 2007
- The Metallic Violin for solo violin, 2007
- Light Music for wind quintet, 2007
- Video Game Dreaming for clarinet quartet, 2007
- The Metallic Violins for two violins, 2008
- Shakedown for amplified shakuhachi & CD, 2008
- Violin Concertino (Summer Stories) for violin and piano, 2009
- Maralinga for violin and piano, 2009
- Funeral Windows for basset clarinet, 2009
- Big Heart for string quartet, 2009
- The Flash for solo xylophone, 2010
- Video Game Dreaming for saxophone quartet, 2010
- Light is both a particle and a wave for flute, clarinet in A, piano and string quartet, 2010
Piano
- AK-47, 1993
- Moments of Plastic Jubilation, 2000
- Monkey Music for Toy Piano and Cymbal Monkey, 2009
Choral
- Pi, 1999
- Velvet Dreams, 1999
- The Blue Alice, 2000
- Heartland, 2001