Alexander Voltz | |
---|---|
Born | Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | 13 April 1999
Education | Brisbane Boys' College University of Queensland (BMus, BA) |
Occupation | Composer |
Organization(s) | Australian Monarchist League Quadrant |
Political party | Liberal Party of Australia |
Alexander Donald Kenneth Voltz (born 13 April 1999) is an Australian composer. [1] He is also known for his political stance as a monarchist. [2] [3] [4] In 2024, Voltz won the Symphonic Category of the George Enescu International Competition for his orchestral work Dunrossil Elms. [5] [6]
Voltz was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, and grew up in Brisbane. He attended Brisbane Boys' College and later studied composition, history, and writing at the University of Queensland, where he graduated with both a Bachelor of Music with Honours (First Class) and a Bachelor of Arts. [7] [8] [9] He studied composition with Robert Davidson, Cathy Likhuta, and Nicole Murphy, and received the mentorship of Brenton Broadstock and Brett Dean. [1] [10] [11]
Voltz has attributed his earliest opportunities and successes to the support of his family, in particular his father, the musician Bradley Voltz. [12] [13] John Curro and the Queensland Youth Orchestras have also been noted as championing Voltz's early music. [14]
Voltz's music has been performed and supported by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Opera Queensland, Australian Youth Orchestra, Ensemble Offspring, Flinders Quartet, and others. [1] He is twice a semi-finalist in the composition division of the Bartók World Competition. [15] [16]
In 2021, Voltz independently produced his first opera, Edward and Richard: The True Story of the Princes in the Tower. [17] [18] He was also commissioned as part of the Australian National Academy of Music's The ANAM Set, which he described as "a census of contemporary Australian art music". [19]
In 2022, Voltz served as Emerging Composer-in-Residence with Camerata – Queensland's Chamber Orchestra, was a recipient of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Composer Commissioning Fund, and placed second in the Harlow Chorus' 2022 Young Composer Competition. [20] [21] [22] [23] The following year, he commenced as the founding Music Editor of Quadrant. [24]
In 2024, Voltz won the Symphonic Category of the 19th George Enescu International Competition for his orchestral work Dunrossil Elms. The competition's jury consisted of, Magnus Lindberg, Jennifer Higdon, and Pascal Dusapin among other composers. [25]
Voltz is a Spokesperson for the Australian Monarchist League. [26] Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, he appeared across national Australian media outlets, presenting the League's perspectives. [27] In 2024, he was the League's principal spokesperson during King Charles III and Queen Camilla's tour of Australia. [28] [29]
Voltz directed The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Concert, Australia's largest musical tribute during the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II. [30] [31]