Andrew Ford (composer)

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Andrew Ford OAM (born 1957) is an English-born Australian composer, writer, and radio presenter, known for The Music Show on ABC Radio National.

Contents

Early life and education

Andrew Ford was born in 1957 in Liverpool, UK. [1] [2]

He attended St Olave's Grammar School in Orpington, Kent, then studied at Lancaster University with Edward Cowie and John Buller. As a student, a meeting with Sir Michael Tippett had a profound influence on him, when he told him "to forget about musical systems and trust his instincts". [2]

Career

Ford was a research fellow in music Bradford University from 1978 to 1982. [3]

After moving to Australia, he lectured at the School of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong, NSW, from 1983 to 1995, [3] and during this time earned a PhD for his thesis on musical word setting from Elvis Costello to Elliott Carter. [2]

Ford was composer-in-residence with the Australian Chamber Orchestra (1992–94), [2] held the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Composer Fellowship from 1998 to 2000 and was awarded a two-year fellowship by the Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts for 2005 to 2006. [4] He was appointed composer-in-residence at the Australian National Academy of Music in 2009. [2]

Other activities

He has written widely on music and published or co-written eleven books. For the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, he wrote, presented and co-produced the radio series Illegal Harmonies, Dots on the Landscape, Music and Fashion, Earth Dances and Three Front Doors a Paddock (with painter Ben Quilty) [2]

Since 1995 he has presented The Music Show on ABC Radio National. [2]

Recognition and awards

APRA / Art Music Awards

The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). [7] They include the Art Music Awards (until 2009 Classical Music Awards) which are distributed by APRA and the Australian Music Centre (AMC). [8] These awards include: [4]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2004 Learning to Howl – FordBest Composition by an Australian Composer [9] Won
2005 Tales of the Supernatural – Ford – Australian String Quartet, Jane EdwardsVocal or Choral Work of the Year [10] Won
2008 FordOutstanding Contribution by an Individual [11] Nominated
2009 Learning to Howl – Ford – Arcko Symphonic ProjectBest Performance of an Australian Composition [12] Nominated
2011 A Dream of Drowning – Ford – West Australian Symphony Orchestra Work of the Year – Orchestral [13] Nominated
2013 Blitz – Ford – Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Work of the Year – Orchestral [14] Nominated
2014 Last Words – Ford – Jane Sheldon and the Seraphim Trio Work of the Year – Vocal/Choral [15] [2] Won
String Quartet No. 5 – Ford – Australian String QuartetWork of the Year – Instrumental [16] Nominated

Selected works

Stage works

Orchestral

Concertos

Vocal and choral

Ensemble

Instrumental

Radiophonic

Books

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References

  1. "Ford, Andrew, 1957-". Social Networks and Archival Context. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 "About Andrew Ford". Andrew Ford. 11 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.[ non-primary source needed ]
  3. 1 2 Joyce Kennedy; Michael Kennedy; Tim Rutherford-Johnson, eds. (2013). "Ford, Andrew". The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music (5th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780199578108 . Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  4. 1 2 Andrew Ford : Represented Artist, Australian Music Centre
  5. "Australian Music Centre Online : Breaking Sound Barriers".
  6. "Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award to Andrew Ford". Andrew Ford. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2023.[ non-primary source needed ]
  7. "APRA History". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 20 September 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  8. "Classical Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 28 September 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  9. "2004 Winners – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  10. "2005 Winners – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 16 September 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  11. "2008 Finalists – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  12. "2009 Finalists – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 18 September 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  13. "Art Music Awards 2011 – finalists announced". Australian Music Centre(AMC). Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  14. "Art Music Awards 2013 – finalists announced". Australian Music Centre (AMC). Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  15. "2014 Art Music Awards – winners". Australian Music Centre (AMC). Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  16. "2014 Art Music Awards – finalists". Australian Music Centre (AMC). Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  17. Poe – The Terror of the Soul, work details at Australian Music Centre
  18. Last Words Archived 25 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine , program notes and texts

Further reading