Richard Mills (composer)

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Richard John Mills AO FAHA [1] (born 14 November 1949) is an Australian conductor and composer. He was the artistic director of Victorian Opera from 2013-2023, and formerly artistic director of the West Australian Opera and artistic consultant with Orchestra Victoria. He was commissioned by the Victoria State Opera to write his opera Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (1996) and by Opera Australia to write the opera Batavia (2001).

Contents

Career

Mills was born and grew up in Toowoomba, Queensland, and went to Nudgee College in Brisbane. He studied in London with Edmund Rubbra at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and worked as a percussionist in England and for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Mills started conducting and composing in the 1980s. [2]

In 1988, to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) commissioned Mills to re-orchestrate Charles Williams's Majestic Fanfare , the signature tune of ABC news and television broadcasts, in a more modern, Australian idiom.

He was engaged to conduct Opera Australia's first complete production of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen in the State Theatre, Melbourne, in 2013, the bicentenary of the composer's birth. [2] On 5 June 2013, he withdrew from the Opera Australia Ring cycle.

Works

Works for the stage

Vocal and choral works

Concertos

Orchestral

Chamber works

Instrumental works

Educational works

Awards and nominations

In 1982, he won the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award. [5]

In 1999, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). [6] He was promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2024 Australia Day Honours for "distinguished service to the performing arts as a composer, conductor and artistic director". [7]

In 2019, he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities (FAHA). [8]

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
2000 Concerto for Violin and Viola by Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (conductor Richard Mills)Most Performed Contemporary Classical CompositionNominated [9]
2002 Batavia by Orchestra Victoria (conductor Richard Mills)Best Performance of an Australian CompositionWon [10]
Vocal or Choral Work of the YearWon
2005 Concerto for Guitar and Strings by Karin Schaupp & Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (conductor Richard Mills)Orchestral Work of the YearWon [11] [12]
2008 The Love of the Nightingale – Richard MillsBest Composition by an Australian ComposerNominated [13] [14]
2009 String Quartet No. 3 – Richard MillsBest Performance of an Australian CompositionNominated [15]
Palm Court Suite by Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (Richard Mills)Orchestral Work of the YearNominated
Tivoli Dances by Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (Richard Mills)Won

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
1999 Ariel's Music (with Queensland Symphony Orchestra & Paul Dean Best Classical Album Nominated [16]

Bernard Heinze Memorial Award

The Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
1996Richard MillsSir Bernard Heinze Memorial AwardAwarded [17] [18]

Don Banks Music Award

The Don Banks Music Award was established in 1984 to publicly honour a senior artist of high distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to music in Australia. [19] It was founded by the Australia Council in honour of Don Banks, Australian composer, performer and the first chair of its music board.

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1996Richard MillsDon Banks Music AwardWon

Green Room Awards

Helpmann Awards

The Helpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. [21]

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
2002 Batavia – Richard Mills & Peter Goldsworthy Best New Australian Work Won [22] [23]
Batavia – Richard Mills Best Original Score Nominated
2005 The Love of the Nightingale Best Performance in a Classical ConcertNominated [24] [25]
2007 The Love of the Nightingale – Richard Mills & Timberlake Wertenbaker Best New Australian WorkNominated [26] [27] [28] [29]
The Love of the Nightingale – Richard MillsBest Original ScoreNominated
The Love of the Nightingale – Richard MillsBest Music DirectionWon
2008 Songlines for the Heart's Desire – Richard MillsBest Original ScoreNominated
2012 Elektra – Richard MillsBest Musical DirectionNominated

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References

  1. ↑ "Senate Meeting Summary". University of Queensland. 10 October 2002. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  2. 1 2 "In for the long haul" by Matthew Westwood, The Australian (26 March 2011)
  3. ↑ "Victorian Opera presents World Premiere of Galileo". aussietheatre.com.au. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  4. ↑ Musica Viva Concerts 2008 Program for Cheryl Barker, Peter Coleman-Wright and Piers Lane
  5. ↑ "Richard Mills : Represented Artist Profile : Australian Music Centre". www.australianmusiccentre.com.au. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  6. ↑ "Australian Honours". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  7. ↑ "Dr Richard John Mills AM". Australian Honours Search Facility. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "Fellows". Australian Academy of the Humanities. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  9. ↑ "Nominations – 2000". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  10. ↑ "2002 Winners – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  11. ↑ "2005 Winners – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  12. ↑ "2005 Finalists – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  13. ↑ "2008 Winners – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 14 January 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  14. ↑ "2008 Finalists – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  15. ↑ "Winners – Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  16. ↑ ARIA Award previous winners. "ARIA Awards – Winners by Award". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  17. ↑ Richard Mills website Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ Melbourne Recital Centre Archived 2011-11-26 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ "Don Banks Music Award: Prize". Australian Music Centre. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  20. ↑ "The Green Room Awards: Melbourne Theatre Company among the big winners". Limelight. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  21. ↑ "Events & Programs". Live Performance Australia. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  22. ↑ "Australian Web Archive 2002 Helpmann Awards Nominees". Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Australian Web Archive. Archived from the original on 17 July 2003. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  23. ↑ "Australian Web Archive 2002 Helpmann Awards Winners". Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Australian Web Archive. Archived from the original on 17 July 2003. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  24. ↑ "Springtime for Helpmann – Arts – Entertainment – theage.com.au". The Age . 12 July 2005. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  25. ↑ "2005 Helpmann Awards winners list – Entertainment". The Sydney Morning Herald . 9 August 2005. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  26. ↑ "Nominations for 2007 Helpmann Awards". www.australianstage.com.au. 12 July 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  27. ↑ "Actors, singers, comics in the mix for Helpmann Awards". The Age . 10 July 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  28. ↑ "Keating leads the way at Helpmann Awards – Breaking News – National". The Age . 6 August 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  29. ↑ "Keating! voted best musical". Brisbane Times . 7 August 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
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