Gordon Hamilton (born 1982) is an
Australian composer and conductor. Since 2009, he has been the Artistic Director of
The Australian Voices. He was born in
Newcastle, lived and worked in
Bremen
Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
,
Germany for five years as a
conductor
Conductor or conduction may refer to:
Music
* Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra.
* ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas
* Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...
and
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 Defi ...
and he now lives in
Brisbane.
He studied in Australia at the
University of Newcastle Conservatorium from 2000 to 2004, majoring in composition with
Nigel Butterley and piano with Carmel Lutton. At the same time, he undertook private lessons in orchestral conducting with
David Banney
David Banney (born 1968, Brisbane, Australia) is an Australian conductor, composer and music educator. He is involved with various organisations and ensembles, including the Christ Church Cathedral, the Newcastle Music Festival, the Christ Chu ...
.
In October 2003 he was invited to the City of Hakodate, Japan where he performed a solo piano program of Messiaen, Butterley and Debussy.
In 2004 Hamilton conducted the premiere of the opera ''The Impossible Body'' by Katrina Pring, for which he and Pring received a City of Newcastle Dramatic Award (CONDA).
In January 2006, Hamilton founded Northern Spirit, a young vocal ensemble committed to contemporary choral music. In just over three years, Northern Spirit has given over fifty concerts, premiered seventeen works, and taken part in four international choral festivals. Under Hamilton's direction, Northern Spirit has performed in Germany, Spain, France, and Iceland.
In September 2009, Hamilton moved back to Australia to take over as the new conductor and artistic director of one of Australia's foremost vocal ensembles, The Australian Voices, which was under the direction of respected Australian composer
Stephen Leek
Stephen Leek (born 1959) is an Australian composer, conductor, educator, and publisher who specialises in choral music.
Early life
Leek was born in Sydney in 1959, lived in Brisbane from 1964 through 1969, and then spent the rest of his childho ...
for twelve years. Hamilton sang with this acclaimed ensemble from 2000 until 2004. Several of his compositions, including "Under the Shadow of Kileys Hill" (2000) and "Priepriggie" (2009), have been commissioned by this choir and performed in many different countries.
Hamilton has also received several international compositional awards, including first prize in the Coral Gables Congregational Church Florida 2006 Composition Prize, with a work for strings (Reggaeton, which premiered in 2007 in Florida, US). Another of Hamilton's string compositions ("Sale el Sol", which had its premiere in 2008 in Raumberg, Austria) won the second prize at the International Chamber Days, Raumberg 2008 Composition Prize. Finally, Hamilton's work for chamber orchestra Sinfonietta-Concertante (which was premiered by the
Luxembourg Sinfonietta in 2007 in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg) received fourth prize in the Luxembourg Sinfonietta 2007 Composition Prize.
References
External links
*
The Australian VoicesAustralian Music Centre: Gordon Hamilton
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Gordon
Australian male composers
Australian composers
1982 births
Living people
Artistic directors (music)
Australian choral conductors
Australian conductors (music)
21st-century conductors (music)
21st-century Australian male musicians
21st-century Australian musicians