Sir Jonathan Mills AO FRSE (born 21 March 1963) is an Australian composer and festival director. He was born and raised in Sydney and has dual Australian and UK citizenship. His work includes two

operas Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...

, an

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

, a

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

, song cycles,

concertos A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typi ...

, and

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

.Fowler, Prof Will, 28 June 2013
University of St Andrews, Laureation address: Sir Jonathan Edward Harland Mills
. Retrieved 23 April 2014 He has directed a number of arts festivals in Australia, and from 2006 to 2014 he was director of the

Edinburgh International Festival The Edinburgh International Festival is an annual arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, spread over the final three weeks in August. Notable figures from the international world of music (especially european classical music, classical music) and ...

Biography

Jonathan Edward Harland Mills was born in Sydney on 21 March 1963.''The Guardian'', 3 August 2007
Profile: Jonathan Mills
Retrieved 23 April 2014 He has Scottish roots, his maternal grandfather having been a

Scot The Scots ( sco, Scots Fowk; gd, Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded t ...

from

Partick Partick ( sco, Pairtick, Scottish Gaelic: ''Partaig'') is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch, to the east Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Park (across the River Kelvin), and ...

, and he has dual Australian and British citizenship. His father, Frank Harland Mills AO (1910–2008), was a heart surgeon. He gained a

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of pre ...

in composition from the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

in 1984, where he was associated with St Paul's College. He studied under

Peter Sculthorpe Peter Joshua Sculthorpe (29 April 1929 – 8 August 2014) was an Australian composer. Much of his music resulted from an interest in the music of countries neighboring Australia as well as from the impulse to bring together aspects of Aborigin ...

.Phil Miller, 26 July 2012
Australia Unlimited, The Cultural Diplomat
Retrieved 23 April 2014 Mills was a research fellow and composer in residence at

RMIT University RMIT University, officially the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,, section 4(b) is a public research university in Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

between 1992 and 1997. He graduated as Master of Architecture at RMIT in 1999, focusing on acoustic design and the role of sound in the built environment. Between 1998 and 2003 he was an adjunct professor at RMIT. Between 1988 and 2003 he was the artistic director of music festivals in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. These included the

Melbourne International Arts Festival Melbourne International Arts Festival, formerly Spoleto Festival Melbourne – Festival of the Three Worlds, then Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, becoming commonly known as Melbourne Festival, was a major international arts festi ...

, the Melbourne Federation Festival, the Melbourne Millennium Eve Celebrations, and the Brisbane Biennial International Music Festival (inaugural artistic adviser 1995–97). It was during these years that he composed ''Four First Songs'', a song cycle for radio on poems by Martin Harrison, and the ballet ''The Ethereal Eye'', which focussed on the architects who designed and built

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

as the new capital of Australia. In 1999 came his first chamber opera, ''The Ghost Wife'', to a libretto by

Dorothy Porter Dorothy Featherstone Porter (26 March 1954 – 10 December 2008) was an Australian poet. She was a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award for lifetime achievement in poetry. Early life Porter was born in Sydney. Her father was barrister ...

based on the short story ''The Chosen Vessel'' by Barbara Baynton, set in the Australian bush at the beginning of the twentieth century. The opera was premiered at the 1999 Melbourne Festival and had numerous productions in other capitals. It had its London premiere at the Barbican Theatre in November 2002, staged by OzOpera, under conductor Richard Gill. This was believed to be the first Australian opera with an Australian cast to have a London season.Robin Usher, "Scoring a first", ''The Age'', 11 November 2002, Review, p. 5 In 2001 he wrote ''Sandakan Threnody'', an

for tenor, choir, and orchestra. It is based on the real-life story of the 2,345 Australian and British prisoners of war who in 1945 were sent on a series of

death marches A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees in which individuals are left to die along the way. It is distinguished in this way from simple prisoner transport via foot march. Article 19 of the Geneva Conven ...

from the Japanese camp in

Sandakan Sandakan (, Jawi: , ) formerly known at various times as Elopura, is the capital of the Sandakan District in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the second largest city in Sabah after Kota Kinabalu. It is located on the Sandakan Peninsula and east coast of ...

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...

– only six would survive. It was revised and premiered as part of Sydney Symphony Orchestra's 2004 "Meet the Music" series at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

, and was later performed at the Singapore, Brisbane and Melbourne Festivals. In 2005 it was awarded the

Prix Italia The Prix Italia is an international Television, Radio-broadcasting and Web award. It was established in 1948 by RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana (in 1948, RAI had the denomination RAI – Radio Audizioni Italiane) in Capri and is honoured with the ...

. Mills' father Frank Mills survived incarceration at Sandakan.University of Sydney
"Frank Harland Mills AO 1910–2008"
Retrieved 23 April 2014 In 2003 came Mills' chamber opera '' The Eternity Man'', commissioned as a Genesis Foundation Prize by Almeida/Aldeburgh Opera and premiered in London in July that year. It was based on the life of

Arthur Stace Arthur Malcolm Stace (9 February 1885 – 30 July 1967), known as Mr Eternity, was an Australian soldier. He was an alcoholic from his teenage years until the early 1930s, when he converted to Christianity and began to spread his message by ...

. Mills revised it in 2007, and in 2008 Julien Temple filmed it for television with broadcasts by

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

in 2008 and

ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to: *ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or *ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia ABC Television or ABC ...

in 2009 and funded by them. The film of ''The Eternity Man'' won various awards, including Best Experimental Film at Australia's 2008

ATOM Awards The ATOM Awards are a group of awards offered to Australian and New Zealand "professionals, educators and students", honoring achievements in the making of film, television, multimedia, and from 2007 multi-modal productions. The Awards were esta ...

, the Judges Award for Best Work of the Year at the Queensland Australian Cinematography Awards and the Swiss

Rose d'Or The Rose d'Or ('Golden Rose') is an international awards festival in entertainment broadcasting and programming. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) first acquired the Rose d’Or in 1961, when it was created by Swiss Television in the lakes ...

(2009). He was Vice-Chancellor's (Professorial) Fellow at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

, director of the Alfred Deakin Lectures and an artistic advisor to the

Melbourne Recital Centre Melbourne Recital Centre is a venue for live music in Melbourne and welcomes over 200,000 visitors each year. The organisation programs and presents more than 500 concerts and events a year across diverse range of musical genres including classi ...

(including Elisabeth Murdoch Hall). In 2006 he was appointed director and chief executive of the

. His term was twice extended, and concluded at the end of 2014.Thomas, Ellen (15 June 2013), ''The Herald Scotland''
"Edinburgh festival chief delighted by knighthood
Retrieved 23 April 2014 In 2011 he was appointed international artistic adviser of the

Arts Centre Melbourne Arts Centre Melbourne, originally known as the Victorian Arts Centre and briefly called the Arts Centre, is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the central ...

till the end of 2012, in addition to his existing commitments in Edinburgh. He continues to reside in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, where he is working on a new opera based on

Murray Bail Murray Bail (born 22 September 1941) is an Australian writer of novels, short stories and non-fiction. In 1980 he shared the Age Book of the Year award for his novel ''Homesickness.'' He was born in Adelaide, South Australia. He has lived most ...

's novel ''

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...

''.

Honours

In 2001 Jonathan Mills was awarded the Centenary Medal. In 2008 he was named an honorary doctor of the

University of Stirling The University of Stirling (, gd, Oilthigh Shruighlea (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built ...

. In 2010 he was appointed Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In the Queen's Birthday Honours (Australia) of 2011, he was appointed an Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an 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 the Australian Gove ...

, "for distinguished service to the performing arts as a composer and director of international festivals, through the promotion of cultural exchange, and to public debate". He was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours (UK) of 2013. He was appointed Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture in 2013. He was awarded Gloria Artis - Medal for Merit to Culture, (Zasłużony Kulturze - Gloria Artis) of the Republic of Poland in 2013. In 2013 was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters by the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

, and an honorary doctorate of arts by

.RMIT University
"RMIT recognises music and arts festival innovator"
Retrieved 23 April 2014 He is also an honorary doctor of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

.University of Edinburgh
Retrieved 23 April 2014 He was awarded an honorary doctorate of music by the University of Sydney in 2015.

Personal life

In March 2013 Mills entered into a

civil partnership A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...

with his partner of seven years, Ben Divall, whom he had met in

.Phil Miller, ''The Herald Scotland'', 12 August 2013
"Sir Jonathan Mills on the Edinburgh International Festival, the referendum and getting hitched"
Retrieved 23 April 2014

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, Jonathan 1963 births Living people British classical composers British male classical composers British opera composers Male opera composers Ballet composers British ballet composers Edinburgh Festival Australian arts administrators British arts administrators Musicians from Sydney LGBT classical composers LGBT musicians from Australia LGBT musicians from Scotland Australian Knights Bachelor Composers awarded knighthoods Officers of the Order of Australia Recipients of the Centenary Medal University of Sydney alumni RMIT University alumni RMIT University faculty Australian male classical composers Australian classical composers Prix Italia winners