Andrew Ford (born 1957) is an English-born Australian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

, writer, and

radio presenter A radio personality is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host (North American English), radio presenter (British English) or radio jockey. Radio personali ...

, known for '' The Music Show'' on ABC

Radio National ABC Radio National, more commonly known as Radio National or simply RN, is an Australian nationwide public service radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. ...

Early life and education

Andrew Ford was born in 1957 in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, UK. He attended

St Olave's Grammar School St. Olave's Grammar School (formally St. Olave's and St. Saviour's Church of England Grammar School) ( or ) is a grammar school, selective secondary school for boys in Orpington, Greater London, England. Founded by royal charter in 1571, the sch ...

Orpington Orpington is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 13.4 miles (21.6 km) south east of Charing Cross. On the south-eastern edge of the Greater London Built-up Area, it is south of St Mary Cray, sou ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

, then studied at

Lancaster University Lancaster University (officially The University of Lancaster) is a collegiate public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several new univer ...

with Edward Cowie and John Buller. As a student, a meeting with Sir Michael Tippett had a profound influence on him, when he told him "to forget about musical systems and trust his instincts".

Career

Ford was Fellow in Music

Bradford University The University of Bradford is a public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be created in Britain, but ...

from 1978 to 1982. After moving to Australia, he lectured at the School of Creative Arts at the

University of Wollongong The University of Wollongong (UOW) is an Australian public university, public research university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, approximately south of Sydney. , the university had an enrolment of more than 33,000 s ...

, NSW, from 1983 to 1995, and during this time earned a doctorate for his thesis on musical word setting from

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...

Elliott Carter Elliott Cook Carter Jr. (December 11, 1908 – November 5, 2012) was an American modernist composer who was one of the most respected composers of the second half of the 20th century. He combined elements of European modernism and American " ...

. Ford was

composer-in-residence Artist-in-residence (also Writer-in-residence), or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs that involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs that pr ...

with the

Australian Chamber Orchestra The Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) is an Australian orchestra focused on chamber music based in Sydney. History The Australian Chamber Orchestra was founded by cellist John Painter in 1975.Verghis, Sharon"Bach with more bite pays off" ''T ...

(1992–94), held the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Composer Fellowship from 1998 to 2000 and was awarded a two-year fellowship by the Music Board of the

Australia Council for the Arts Creative Australia, formerly known as the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announ ...

for 2005 to 2006. He was appointed composer-in-residence at the

Australian National Academy of Music The Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) is a classical music performance training facility situated in Melbourne. History ANAM was established in 1994, as part of prime minister Paul Keating's "Creative Nation" initiative. On 23 Octo ...

in 2009.

Other activities

He has written widely on music and published or co-written eleven books. For the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...

, he wrote, presented and co-produced the radio series ''Illegal Harmonies'', ''Dots on the Landscape'', ''Music and Fashion'', ''Earth Dances'' and ''Three Front Doors a Paddock'' (with painter

Ben Quilty Ben Quilty (born 1973) is an Australian artist and social commentator, who has won a series of painting prizes: the 2014 Prudential Eye Award, 2011 Archibald Prize, and 2009 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize. He has been described as one of Au ...

) Since 1995 he has presented '' The Music Show'' on ABC

Recognition and awards

*1982: Yorkshire Arts Composers Award, joint winner (with

Mark-Anthony Turnage Mark-Anthony Turnage (born 10 June 1960) is an English composer of contemporary classical music. Life and career Mark-Anthony Turnage was born in Corringham, Essex on 10 June 1960. Turnage was the eldest of three children. His parents were lov ...

) for ''Portraits'' *1998: Peggy Glanville-Hicks Composer Fellowship, a two-year fellowship during which he began work on ''The Waltz Book'' *1998:

Pascall Prize The Pascall Prize for Arts Criticism, formerly known as the Pascall Prize and then the Walkley-Pascall Award or Walkley-Pascall Award for Arts Criticism, is one of two annual Walkley Arts Journalism prizes awarded by the Walkley Foundation. The p ...

for critical writing *1998: Sydney Spring Festival award, for ''Tattoo'' *2002: Jean Bogan Prize, for ''The Waltz Book'' *2004: Paul Lowin Song Cycle Prize, for ''Learning to Howl'' *2007: shortlisted, Prix Italia, for his radiophonic work ''Elegy in a Country Graveyard'' *2010: Green Room Award, for the music for the opera ''Rembrandt's Wife'' *2012: Albert H. Maggs Composition Award for his work ''Rauha'' *2013: shortlisted, Paul Lowin Prize, for ''Blitz'' and ''Willow Songs'' *2014: Poynter Fellow and visiting composer at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

*2015: visiting lecturer at the Shanghai Conservatory *2016: shortlisted, Paul Lowin Prize, for ''Last Words'' *2016:

Order of Australia Medal The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then ...

*2018: H. C. Coombs Creative Arts Fellow at the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university, public research university and member of the Group of Eight (Australian universities), Group of Eight, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton, A ...

*2020: Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award, Facilitator's Prize (awarded 2021)

APRA / Art Music Awards

The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the

Australasian Performing Right Association APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwri ...

(APRA). They include the Art Music Awards (until 2009 Classical Music Awards) which are distributed by APRA and the

Australian Music Centre The Australian Music Centre (AMC), founded as Australia Music Centre in 1974 and known as Sounds Australian in the 1990s, is a national organisation promoting and supporting art music in Australia. It operates mainly as a service organisation, a ...

(AMC). These awards include:Andrew Ford : Represented Artist

, - ,

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, , ''Learning to Howl'' – Ford , , Best Composition by an Australian Composer , , , - ,

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, , ''Tales of the Supernatural'' – Ford – Australian String Quartet, Jane Edwards , , Vocal or Choral Work of the Year , , , - ,

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

, , Ford , , Outstanding Contribution by an Individual , , , - ,

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

, , ''Learning to Howl'' – Ford – Arcko Symphonic Project , , Best Performance of an Australian Composition , , , - ,

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

, , ''A Dream of Drowning'' – Ford – West Australian Symphony Orchestra , , Work of the Year – Orchestral , , , - ,

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

, , ''Blitz'' – Ford –

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is the smallest of the six orchestras established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). History The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestr ...

, , Work of the Year – Orchestral , , , - , rowspan="2",

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

, , ''Last Words'' – Ford – Jane Sheldon and the Seraphim Trio , , Work of the Year – Vocal/Choral , , , - , ''String Quartet No. 5'' – Ford – Australian String Quartet , , Work of the Year – Instrumental , ,

Selected works

Stage works

*''Poe'', opera (1983, premiered 1985,

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

) *''Whispers'' for tenor and chamber orchestra (1990) *''Casanova Confined'' for baritone and backing track (1995) *''Night and Dreams: The Death of Sigmund Freud'' for tenor and backing track (1999) *'' Rembrandt's Wife'' (libretto by Sue Smith), opera (2007–2009) *''Peter Pan'', children's opera (2017), for Gondwana Choirs

Orchestral

*Concerto for Orchestra (1980) *''The Big Parade'' (1986) *''Manhattan Epiphanies'' for string orchestra (1999) *''The Furry Dance'' (1999) *''Scenes from Bruegel'' for chamber orchestra (2006) *''Headlong'' (2006), for 75th birthday of Sydney Symphony Orchestra *Symphony (2008) *''Bright Shiners'' for string orchestra (2009) *''Blitz'' for orchestra, (optional) chorus and pre-recorded voices (2011) *''Big Bang'' for orchestra (2019) *''The Meaning of Trees'' for orchestra (2020), for

Australian Youth Orchestra The Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO), formerly Youth Music Australia, is a training organisation for young musicians. It originitated in the Summer camp, music camps founded by John Bishop (academic), John Bishop and Ruth Alexander in 1948. AYO ...

, premiered 2022

Concertos

*Piano Concerto: ''Imaginings'' (1991) *''The Great Memory'' for cello and orchestra (1994) *''The Unquiet Grave'' for viola and chamber orchestra (1997–1998) *''Raga'' for electric guitar and orchestra (2015–2016)

Vocal and choral

*''A Martian Sends a Postcard Home'' for tenor, horn and piano (1986), words by

Craig Raine Craig Anthony Raine, FRSL (born 3 December 1944) is an English contemporary poet. Along with Christopher Reid, he is a pioneer of Martian poetry, a movement that expresses alienation with the world, society and objects. He was a fellow of New C ...

*''Wassails and Lullabies'' for SATB choir and percussion (1989), recorded by

ABC Classics ABC Music is Australia's largest independent record label. It operates under the ABC Commercial division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It covers a wide range of music genres, including classical, children’s and adult conte ...

*''Harbour'' for tenor and string orchestra (1992) *''The Past'' for counter-tenor, flute and string orchestra (with ad lib didgeridoo) (1997), a setting of Oodgeroo Noonuccal's poem 'The Past' and excerpts from James Cook's ship's log *''Learning to Howl'' for soprano, clarinet/sax, harp and percussion (2001) *''Tales of the Supernatural'' for folk singer and string quartet (2002) *''An die Musik'' for SATB choir (2005) *''Elegy in a Country Graveyard'' for SATB choir, brass or concert band (flexible instrumentation) and pre-recorded voices and instruments (2007) *''Domestic Advice'' for soprano and piano (2007) *''A Singing Quilt'' for SATB choir, percussion ensemble and pre-recorded voices (2008) *''Willow Songs: six poems of Anne Stevenson'' for soprano, mezzo-soprano and mixed ensemble (2009) *''Waiting for the Barbarians'' for large chorus (2011), based on

the poem ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

by Constantine P. Cavafy *''Last Words'',

song cycle A song cycle () is a group, or cycle (music), cycle, of individually complete Art song, songs designed to be performed in sequence, as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rarely a combinat ...

for

piano trio A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in European classical music, classical chamber music. The term can also ...

and soprano (2013 premiered by Anna Goldsworthy, Seraphim Trio, Jane Sheldon)''Last Words''
, program notes and texts *''The Drowners'' for baritone and chamber orchestra (2015) *''Missa brevis'' for SATB choir and organ (2015) *''Comeclose and Sleepnow'' for singer and jazz ensemble (2016), to words by Adrian Henri, Brian Patten and

Roger McGough Roger Joseph McGough (; born 9 November 1937) is an English poet, performance poet, broadcaster, children's author and playwright. He presents the BBC Radio 4 programme '' Poetry Please'', as well as performing his own poetry. McGough was one ...

*''Nature'' for mezzo-soprano and ensemble (2019), to words by Jen Hadfield, R.S. Thomas, Robert Adamson,

Tomas Tranströmer Tomas Gösta Tranströmer (; 15 April 1931 – 26 March 2015) was a Swedish poet, psychologist and translator. His poems captured the long winters in Sweden, the rhythm of the seasons and the palpable, atmospheric beauty of nature. Tranströmer' ...

, Maria Takolander, Edward Thomas and W.B. Yeats *''The Blessing'' for mezzo-soprano and oboe (2021), libretto by

J.M. Coetzee John Maxwell Coetzee Order of Australia, AC Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, FRSL Order of Mapungubwe, OMG (born 9 February 1940) is a South African and Australian novelist, essayist, linguist, and translator. The recipient of the 2003 ...

based on a scene from his novel ''

Elizabeth Costello '' Elizabeth Costello'' is a 2003 novel by South African-born Nobel Laureate J. M. Coetzee. In this novel, Elizabeth Costello, a celebrated aging Australian writer, travels around the world and gives lectures on topics including the lives of ...

'' *''Red Dirt Hymns'' for voices and instruments (2020–24), lyrics by Jordie Albiston, David McCooey, John Kinsella, Ellen van Neerven, Judith Bishop, Judith Beveridge,

Sarah Holland-Batt Sarah Holland-Batt (born 1982) is a contemporary Australian poet, critic, and academic. Early life and education Born in Southport, Queensland, Sarah Holland-Batt grew up in Australia and Denver, Colorado. She was educated at the University o ...

, Stephen Edgar, Kate Fagan, Merlinda Bobis, Mark Wakely,

Felicity Plunkett Felicity Plunkett is an Australian poet, literary critic, editor and academic. Biography Felicity Plunkett is a writer of poetry, essays, and short stories, and a widely published critic. She has a BA (Honours) and PhD from the University of ...

, Philip Harvey, Erik Jensen,

Jill Jones Jill Jones (born July 11, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress, who performed as a backing vocalist for Teena Marie and Prince in the 1980s. She is best known for her various collaborative works with Prince in the 1980s and 1990s ...

, Maria Takolander, Melanie Horsnell, Martha Marlow, Alison Flett and Lisa Brockwell *''I Sing the Birth'' for children's choir and electric guitar (2024)

Ensemble

*Chamber Concerto No 3: ''In Constant Flight'' for solo violin and ensemble (1988) *''Ringing the Changes'' for piccolo, bass clarinet and piano (1990) *''Pastoral'' for string octet (1991) *''Tattoo'' for 12 timpani (6 players) and 4 pianos (1998) *''Icarus Drowning'' (1998) *Chamber Concerto No. 4 (2002) *''Sad Jigs'' for string quintet (2005) *''A Reel, a Fling and a Ghostly Galliard (String Quartet No 2)'' (2006) *''Oma kodu'' for clarinet and string quartet (2006) *''Nine Fantasies about Brahms'' for piano trio (2009) *''On Winter's Traces'' for piccolo, bass clarinet, piano and string quartet (2009) for the 30th anniversary of the Australia Ensemble *''The Rising'' (2010) for the

Black Dyke Band Black Dyke Band, formerly John Foster & Son Black Dyke Mills Band, is one of the oldest and most well-known brass bands in the world. It originated as multiple community bands founded by John Foster at his family's textile mill in Queensbury ...

*''The Scattering of Light'' for piano quartet (2010) commissioned to mark the centenary of the University of Queensland *String Quartet No 3 (2012) for the Brodsky Quartet *String Quartet No 4 (2012) for the NOISE String Quartet *String Quartet No 5 (2013) for the Australian String Quartet *''Uproar'' for 11 trombones and four bass drums (2013) *''Common Ground'' for two string quartets (2014) *''Contradance'' for 11 players (2015) *String Quartet No 6 (2014–17) for the

Flinders Quartet Flinders Quartet is an Australian string quartet. They were formed in 2000 by Helen Ireland, Zoe Knighton, Matthew Tomkins and Erica Kennedy. In 2012 Helen Ayres and Shane Chen replaced Tomkins and Kennedy. Ayres was in turn replaced by Nicholas ...

*''Scenes from Streeton'' (2019) for Arcadia Winds *String Quartet No 7: ''Eden Ablaze'' (2020) for the Brodsky Quartet and William Barton *''Machnamh: ruminations on a tune by Seán Ó Riada'' (2022) for the Brodsky Quartet and William Barton

Instrumental

*''Like Icarus ascending'' for solo violin (1984) *''Swansong'' for solo viola (1987) *''Spinning'' for solo alto flute (1988) *''The Very End of Harvest'' for viola and piano (2000) *''The Waltz Book'' (60 one-minute waltzes for solo piano, 2002; commissioned by Ian Munro) *''War and Peace'' for violin and percussion (2004) *''Chorales from an Ox Life'' for viola and double bass (2007) *''Folly'' for solo piano (2007) *''You Must Sleep, but I Must Dance'' for viola and percussion (2010) *''On Reflection'' for two pianos (2012) *''Once upon a time there were two brothers...''for flute and voice (2013) *''Hook'' for solo vibraphone (2018) *''In My Solitude'' for solo viola (2020) *''Confused Alarms'' for horn and piano (2021) *''Irish Tunes'' for piano (2024) *''Deep Riffs'' for electric guitar and looping pedal (2024)

Radiophonic

*''Deirdre of the Sorrows'' (1989) *''Elegy in a Country Graveyard'' (2007) *''Untuning the Sky'' (2013)

Books

*''Composer to Composer: Conversations about Contemporary Music'' (paperback) Sydney:

Allen & Unwin George Allen & Unwin was a British publishing company formed in 1911 when Sir Stanley Unwin purchased a controlling interest in George Allen & Co. It became one of the leading publishers of the twentieth century and established an Australian ...

1993, , (hardback) London: Quartet 1993, , 2nd edition (paperback) Sydney:

Hale & Iremonger Hale & Iremonger is an Australian independent publisher. It was founded in 1977 by Sylvia Hale, John Iremonger and Roger Barnes. John left the company in 1980, moving to Allen & Unwin. By 2002, when Sylvia became involved in NSW state politic ...

1997, ) *''Illegal Harmonies: Music in the 20th Century'' Hale & Iremonger 1997, ; 2nd ed. Sydney: ABC Books 2002, , expanded 3rd ed. Melbourne: Black Inc., ) * * * * * * * * * (hardback) London: Old Street Publishing 2024. -65-6. (paperback) New Delhi: Picador India 2025 ISBN 978-93-6113-316-9.

References

External links

*
''The Music Show''
ABC

Black Inc. website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Andrew 1957 births 20th-century classical composers 20th-century English composers 21st-century classical composers APRA Award winners Australian classical composers Australian male classical composers Australian music critics Classical music radio presenters English classical composers English emigrants to Australia English male classical composers English music critics 21st-century English writers Living people Alumni of Lancaster University Alumni of Cartmel College, Lancaster Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia ABC radio (Australia) journalists and presenters Winners of the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award 20th-century British male musicians 21st-century British male musicians People educated at St Olave's Grammar School