Stuart David Challender (19 February 194713 December 1991) was an Australian conductor, known particularly for his work with The Australian Opera, Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra and the

Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney. With roots going back to 1908, the orchestra was made a permanent professional orchestra on the formation of the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1932. ...

Early life

Challender was born in February 1947 at

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

. His initial passion for music came from his grandmother, Thelma Driscoll, who used to sing to him as a child. In 1960, his father took him to a performance of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

's ''Pastoral'' Symphony conducted by Tibor Paul, from which he decided to become a conductor. In 1964, at age 17, Challender attended the Victorian Conservatorium of Music, at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

. From 1966 he worked with the then Victorian Opera Company. In 1968 he graduated from the Conservatorium and was the Victorian Opera Company's music director.

Conducting career

Challender began his professional conducting career in 1970. His first engagement was '' Kiss Me, Kate'', for the Lucerne Opera. He was appointed assistant conductor at the Staatstheater Nürnberg; then came engagements in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

and

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

, where he was resident conductor at the

Opera House An opera house is a theater building used for performances of opera. Like many theaters, it usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, backstage facilities for costumes and building sets, as well as offices for the institut ...

from 1976 to 1980. Upon returning to Australia from Europe, he joined the staff of The Australian Opera. In late 1980 Challender was assigned to conduct a single performance of ''

The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( ) is an ''opera buffa'' (comic opera) in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's French comedy ' ...

'', and soon after he was appointed resident conductor of the Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra and went on to conduct many of the great standards of opera. Challender succeeded Zdeněk Mácal as chief conductor of the

from 1987 to 1991, to great acclaim. In Australia's bicentennial year (1988), he led the orchestra in a successful tour of the United States, a 12-city tour that culminated with a concert at the

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...

in New York to mark 200 years of European settlement in Australia. He conducted the

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five (orchestras), Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in ...

in Hong Kong in 1989 and in 1990 conducted the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...

in four concerts. Several recordings which he made with the SSO are still available on commercially released CDs. On 26 January 1991, he was appointed an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AO) "in recognition of services to music". In June of that year, his health visibly failing, Challender conducted his last concert in Hobart, with the

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 ...

Death

Challender died of an AIDS-related disease on 13 December 1991. One week later, on 20 December, at the Sydney Town Hall, Justice Michael Kirby led the speakers at a celebration of Challender's life. A seven-minute piece for solo cello by Peter Sculthorpe titled ''Threnody: In memoriam Stuart Challender'' was performed by David Pereira. In his will, Challender provided for the establishment of the Stuart Challender Foundation, to aid the training and development of future Australian conductors. He bequeathed his extensive collection of scores to the Music Library at the

University of Tasmania The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College (University of Tasmania), Christ College, one of the unive ...

. Ross Edwards's Symphony No. 1 ''Da Pacem Domine'' (1995) was dedicated to Challender's memory.

Discography

All recordings with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. * ''

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'', opera by Richard Meale (Philips, 1987) * ''1812 - Danny Boy - Bolero'' (ABC, 1989) * ''Symphony Under the Stars'' (ABC, 1989) * ''Earth Cry - Kakadu - Mangrove'', works by Peter Sculthorpe (ABC, 1989) * '' Carl Vine: Three Symphonies'' (ABC, 1991) * ''Nexus - Nocturnes'' (Vox Australis, 1991)

Awards

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions o ...

. , - ,

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, ''Sculthorpe: Orchestral Works'' (with Sydney Symphony Orchestra) , Best Classical Album , , - ,

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, ''Vine: Three Symphonies'' (with Sydney Symphony Orchestra) , Best Classical Album , , - ,

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

, ''Ross Edwards Orchestral Works'' (with Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Dene Olding and Porcelijn) , Best Classical Album , , -

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Stuart Challender won three awards in that time. (wins only) , - , 1989 , Stuart Challender , Australian Performer of the Year , , - , 1990 , Stuart Challender , Classical Performance of the Year , , - , 1991 , Stuart Challender , Classical Performance of the Year , , -

Bibliography

* Davis, Richard. ''Close to the Flame: the Life of Stuart Challender'', Wakefield Press, 2017, Sydney

References

External links

Stuart Challender in AusStage
November 1, 1988 {{DEFAULTSORT:Challender, Stuart 1947 births 1991 deaths ARIA Award winners Officers of the Order of Australia Australian LGBTQ musicians AIDS-related deaths in Australia LGBTQ classical musicians 20th-century Australian conductors (music) Musicians from Hobart 20th-century Australian LGBTQ people Chief conductors of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra