Lior Attar, better known simply as Lior, is an independent Australian singer-songwriter based in

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 ...

. He is best known for his 2005 debut studio album ''Autumn Flow'' and for the song "Hoot's Lullaby".

Early life and education

Lior was born in Rishon LeZion,

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

and he and his family moved to Sydney when he was 10. They made their first Australian home in

Lane Cove Lane Cove is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lane Cove is nine kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local governmen ...

, and Lior studied at

Killara High School Killara High School is a co-educational, coeducational public secondary school, located on Koola Avenue in East Killara, Sydney. Established in 1968, Killara High School is one of the highest performing comprehensive non-selective public schools i ...

and the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensiv ...

Career

2000–2007: Early EP, ''Autumn Flow'' and ''Doorways of My Mind''

In 2000, Lior released his debut extended play ''The Soul Suicide EP''. In October 2004, Lior recorded his debut studio album '' Autumn Flow''. He sent it to a number of record labels but failed to secure a deal, and released the album independently, late in 2004. In 2015, Lior recalled the first time he heard a song of his on the radio station,

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...

; "I'd just done the so-called tour to launch the album but it didn't have any sort of exposure or radio play, so no-one really knew what it was. I went up and down the east coast with a band and lost all my money. I was feeling really defeated and quite sorry for myself, going 'how am I going to do this', and the song ("This Old Love") came on." ''Autumn Flow'' made its ARIA chart debut in early 2005, peaking at number 45. Lior has toured with the

WOMAD WOMAD ( ; World of Music, Arts and Dance) is an international arts festival. The central aim of WOMAD is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance. History WOMAD was founded in 1980 by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, w ...

festival in 2005 to the UK, Singapore and

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

. Lior also performed at the Spiegeltent throughout the world, and the

Make Poverty History Make Poverty History are organizations in a number of countries, which focus on issues relating to 8th Millennium Development Goal such as aid, trade and justice. They generally form a coalition of aid and development agencies which work togethe ...

concerts in Australia. At

ARIA Music Awards of 2005 The 19th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) were held on 23 October 2005 at the Sydney Superdome at the Sydney Olympic Park complex, thus continuing the pre ...

, the album was nominated for three awards; Breakthrough Artist, Best Male Artist, and Best Independent Release. In 2005, the album was one of the fifteen nominees for radio station

triple j Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...

's inaugural

J Award The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J and which are judged by the music and on-air teams from radio stations Triple J, ...

, given to "an album of outstanding achievement as an Australian musical work of art – for its creativity, innovation, musicianship and contribution to Australian music. ''Autumn Flow'' was certified gold by

ARIA In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...

in 2006. In February 2006, Lior released a live album, ''

Doorways of My Mind ''Doorways of My Mind'' (subtitled ''Live at NSC'') is the first live album by Australian singer-songwriter Lior. The album was recorded at the Northcote Social Club during the ''Autumn Flow'' album tour in November 2005. The album was released i ...

'', recorded at the Northcote Social Club. The album consisted mostly of tracks from '' Autumn Flow'' as well as some new material such as "Diego and the Village Girl", "Burying Chances" and "Avinu Malkeinu" (a traditional prayer). At the ARIA Music Awards of 2006, the album was nominated for two awards; ''Best Independent Release'' and '' Best Blues and Roots Album''. Lior moved from Sydney to Melbourne in 2007.

2008–2012: ''Corner of an Endless Road'', ''Tumbling into the Dawn'' and ''Giggle and Hoot''

In February 2008, Lior released his second studio album, ''

Corner of an Endless Road ''Corner of an Endless Road'' is the second studio album by Australian independent singer-songwriter, Lior. The album was released in February 2008 and peaked at number 13 on the ARIA Charts. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2008, the album was nomi ...

''. The album debuted at number 13 on the

charts. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 2008 The 22nd annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) took place on 19 October 2008. The nominees for all categories were announced on 10 September, while the winners of ...

, the album was nominated for the ''Best Independent Release''. In 2008, Lior toured extensively, both in his home country of Australia and abroad including feature performances at the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...

. In early 2009, he performed with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for a series of outdoor concerts. In 2009, Lior launched the Shadows and Light Tour, a collaboration with renowned shadow artists Stephen Mushin and Anna Parry; an interactive performance combining Lior's music with live shadow art performance and featured a season at the Sydney Opera House. In 2009, Lior was approached by children's television show '' Giggle and Hoot'' series producer Clare Gerber, and was asked to write a song. He agreed thinking "this could be fun" and wrote "Hoot's Lullaby". The song plays nightly on

ABC 2 ABC TV Plus (formerly ABC2 and ABC Comedy) is an Australian free-to-air television channel owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and part of its ABC Television network. The channel broadcasts a range of general entertainment progr ...

just before 7:00pm, and marks the end of children's programming on the channel for the day. In October 2010, Lior released his third studio album ''Tumbling into the Dawn''. The album peaked at number 26 on the ARIA charts. In 2011 Lior wrote and recorded "Hey Hootabelle" for Giggle and Hoot. At the

APRA Music Awards of 2012 The Australasian Performing Right Association Awards of 2012 (generally known as APRA Awards) are a series of related awards which include the APRA Music Awards, Art Music Awards, and Screen Music Awards. The APRA Music Awards of 2012 was the 30 ...

, the song won the APRA Award for Best Original Song Composed for Screen.

2013–2018: ''Compassion'', ''Scattered Reflections'' and ''Between You and Me''

In September 2013, Lior and Nigel Westlake premiered ''Compassion'' at the Sydney Opera House. ''Compassion'' is an orchestral song cycle for voice and orchestra consisting of original melodies and orchestration set to ancient texts in Hebrew and Arabic, all centred around the wisdom of compassion. The performance was recorded and the album of '' Compassion'' was released in November 2013. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2014, it won the

ARIA Award for Best Classical Album The ARIA Music Award for Best Classical Album, is an award presented within the Fine Arts Awards at the annual ARIA Music Awards. The ARIA Awards recognise "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", and have been given b ...

. Lior premiered ''Compassion'' in the US with the Austin Symphony Orchestra in 2016 and was subsequently awarded the Austin Table Critics' Award for Best Symphonic Performance of 2015-16 and in 2016 Lior also won the Melbourne Music Prize Civic Choice Award for ''Compassion''. In March 2014, Lior released his fourth studio album '' Scattered Reflections''. The album peaked at number 23 on the ARIA charts. In April 2015, Lior was invited as the sole Australian artist to perform at the prestigious 100 year anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli, performing his song "Safety of Distance" with the Gallipoli choir leading in to the dawn service. In June 2015, ''Autumn Flow'' was re-released as a tenth anniversary edition. From December 2015, Lior played the part of Motel Kamzoil in '' Fiddler on the Roof'' at

's Princess Theatre. In 2016, Lior worked with producer Tony Buchen to write an orchestral score for ''The Wider Earth'', a Queensland theatre production based on Charles Darwin's journey on HMS ''Beagle''. At the 2016 Matilda Theatre Awards, the music won Best Original Theatre Score. In 2016 Lior co-wrote and recorded a children's album with

The Idea of North The Idea of North are an Australian a cappella vocal ensemble founded in Canberra in 1993, by Nick Begbie (tenor), Meg Corson (alto), Trish Delaney-Brown (soprano) and Andrew Piper (bass). In March 2002 Corson was replaced as alto by Naomi Cr ...

Elena Kats-Chernin Elena Davidovna Kats-Chernin (born 4 November 1957) is a Soviet-born Australian pianist and composer, best known for her ballet ''Wild Swans''. Early life and career Elena Kats-Chernin was born in Tashkent (now the capital of independent Uzbek ...

for the HUSH Foundation. Created for the dual purpose of raising funds for the children's hospital as well as making original music to be played in the wards, the album ''A Piece of Quiet'' featured original music written to lyrics written by the children in the hospital wards and was released in October 2016. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 2017 The 31st Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) are a series of award ceremonies which include the 2017 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fine ...

, the album was nominated for

ARIA Award for Best Children's Album The ARIA Music Award for Best Children's Album is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording Ind ...

. Throughout 2018 Lior toured with Australian pianist and composer Paul Grabowsky in performing a collection of Lior's songs adapted and reinterpreted for piano and voice. In 2019 Lior featured as the guest vocalist for the Australian Chamber Orchestra's 'Luminous' tour which toured nationally in Australia as well as performances in the Barbican in London. In September 2018, Lior released his fifth studio album ''Between You and Me''. In 2018 Lior was awarded a Fellowship of the Australian Institute of Music in recognition of outstanding achievements and services to Australian music.

2019–present: Air Land Sea and ''Animal in Hiding''

In 2019, Lior formed the musical group Air Land Sea with Nadav Kahn and Tony Buchen. The group released four singles and a self-titled studio album across 2019. In 2019 Lior was awarded the

Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship The Myer Foundation is a major Australian philanthropic organisation. History The Sidney Myer Charitable Trust was established by the will of Sidney Myer, who died in 1934, leaving a portion of his estate for the benefit of the community. Myer' ...

, an award of over two years, given to mid-career creatives and thought leaders. As part of the 2021 WOMADelaide concert series, Lior performed his symphony ''Compassion'' alongside composer Nigel Westlake and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. In 2021, Lior collaborated with fellow singer-songwriter Domini Forster on ''Animal in Hiding''. Lior said "She's been my support act for awhile now, after awhile, she became the backing vocalist in my band and then leading up to my last solo album, we decided we'd have a crack at writing a song together." The EP is scheduled for released on 15 October 2021.

Philanthropy

In a 2015 interview, Lior mentioned working for the charities Cambodian Children's Trust and

Global Poverty Project Global Citizen, also known as Global Poverty Project, is an international education and advocacy organization working to catalyze the movement to end extreme poverty and promote social justice and equity through the lens of intersectionality. Th ...

as well as supporting Oscar's Law.

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Live albums

Other albums

Compilation albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

Awards

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as

AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at ...

) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. , - , rowspan="2" , 2006 , ''Autumn Flow '' , Best Performing Independent Album , , - , himself , Independent Artist of the Year , , - , rowspan="3" ,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, rowspan="2" , ''Corner of an Endless Road '' , Best Independent Album , , - , Best Independent Blues and Roots Album , , - , himself , Best Independent Artist , , -

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Lior has won two awards from nine nominations. , - , rowspan="3", 2005 , rowspan="3", '' Autumn Flow'' , Best Male Artist , , - , Breakthrough Artist - Album , , - , Best Independent Release , , - , rowspan="2", 2006 , rowspan="2", ''

'' , Best Blues & Roots Album , , - , Best Independent Release , , - ,

, ''Corner of an Endless Road'' , Best Independent Release , , - ,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, '' Compassion''
(with Nigel Westlake & Sydney Symphony Orchestra) ,

Best Classical Album The Grammy Award for Best Classical Album was awarded from 1962 to 2011. The award had several minor name changes: *From 1962 to 1963, 1965 to 1972 and 1974 to 1976 the award was known as Album of the Year – Classical *In 1964 and 1977 it wa ...

, , - , rowspan="2",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

, ''

Ali's Wedding (soundtrack) ''Ali's Wedding (soundtrack)'' is the original motion picture soundtrack for the 2017 Australian romantic comedy Ali's Wedding, of the same name starring Osamah Sami and Don Hany. The soundtrack is credited to Nigel Westlake, Sydney Symphony Orc ...

''
(with Nigel Westlake, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Tawadros &

Slava Grigoryan Slava Grigoryan (born 1976) is an Australian classical guitarist and recording artist. He frequently collaborates and performs with his younger brother, fellow guitarist Leonard Grigoryan, performing as the Grigoryan Brothers. Early life He was ...

) , Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album , , - , ''A Piece of Quiet (The Hush Collection, Vol 16)''
(with

& Elena Kats-Chernin) , Best Children's Album ,

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. Lior has won one award from five nominations. , - , 2006 , "Daniel" , Most Performed Blues & Roots Work , , - , 2009 , "Heal Me" , Most Performed Blues & Roots Work , , - , rowspan="2",

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, "Hey Hootabelle" for '' Giggle and Hoot'', written by Lior , Best Original Song Composed for the Screen , , - , '' Hootabelle'' , Best Music for Children's Television , , - ,

, ''Compassion'' , Work of the Year – Orchestral , , -

J Award

The

J Awards The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J and which are judged by the music and on-air teams from radio stations Triple J, ...

are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

's youth-focused radio station

. They commenced in 2005. , - , 2005 , ''Autumn Flow'' , Australian Album of the Year ,

References

External links

Official web site
* {{Authority control Living people APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners Australian male singers Australian people of Israeli descent Israeli emigrants to Australia Israeli Jews Jewish Australian musicians Singers from Melbourne University of New South Wales alumni Year of birth missing (living people)