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". [3]

Career

Ford was a research fellow in music Bradford University from 1978 to 1982. [4]

After moving to Australia, he lectured at the School of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong, NSW, from 1983 to 1995, [4] and during this time earned a PhD for his thesis on "musical word setting from Elvis Costello to Elliott Carter. [3]

Ford was composer-in-residence with the Australian Chamber Orchestra (1992–94), [3] 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. [5] He was appointed composer-in-residence at the Australian National Academy of Music in 2009. [3]

Other activities

He has written widely on music and published ten books. He wrote, presented and co-produced the radio series Illegal Harmonies, Dots on the Landscape and Music and Fashion. [3]

Since 1995 he has presented The Music Show on ABC Radio National. [3]

Recognition and awards

APRA / Art Music Awards

The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). [8] They include the Art Music Awards (until 2009 Classical Music Awards) which are distributed by APRA and the Australian Music Centre (AMC). [9] These awards include: [5]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2004 Learning to Howl – FordBest Composition by an Australian Composer [10] Won
2005 Tales of the Supernatural – Ford – Australian String Quartet, Jane EdwardsVocal or Choral Work of the Year [11] Won
2008 FordOutstanding Contribution by an Individual [12] Nominated
2009 Learning to Howl – Ford – Arcko Symphonic ProjectBest Performance of an Australian Composition [13] Nominated
2011 A Dream of Drowning – Ford – West Australian Symphony Orchestra Work of the Year – Orchestral [14] Nominated
2013 Blitz – Ford – Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Work of the Year – Orchestral [15] Nominated
2014 Last Words – Ford – Jane Sheldon and the Seraphim Trio Work of the Year – Vocal/Choral [16] [3] Won
String Quartet No. 5 – Ford – Australian String QuartetWork of the Year – Instrumental [17] Nominated

Selected works

Music theatre

Orchestral

Concertos

Vocal and choral

Ensemble

Instrumental

Radiophonic

Bibliography

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References

  1. "Ford, Andrew, 1957-". Social Networks and Archival Context. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  2. "About Andrew Ford". Andrew Ford. 23 April 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 "About Andrew Ford". Andrew Ford. 11 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Search Results for andrew ford". Oxford Reference: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music (5 ed.). 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 Andrew Ford : Represented Artist, Australian Music Centre
  6. "Australian Music Centre Online : Breaking Sound Barriers".
  7. Heino, Anni (9 June 2021). "Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award to Andrew Ford". Andrew Ford. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  8. "APRA History". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 20 September 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  9. "Classical Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 28 September 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  10. "2004 Winners – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  11. "2005 Winners – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 16 September 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  12. "2008 Finalists – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  13. "2009 Finalists – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 18 September 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  14. "Art Music Awards 2011 – finalists announced". Australian Music Centre (AMC). Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  15. "Art Music Awards 2013 – finalists announced". Australian Music Centre (AMC). Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  16. "2014 Art Music Awards – winners". Australian Music Centre (AMC). Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  17. "2014 Art Music Awards – finalists". Australian Music Centre (AMC). Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  18. Poe – The Terror of the Soul, work details at Australian Music Centre
  19. Last Words Archived 25 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine , program notes and texts

Further reading