Katy Abbott
Katy Abbott | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1971 Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, senior lecturer |
| Years active | –present |
| Known for | Orchestral, chamber, and vocal compositions |
Katy Abbott (born 1971) is a distinguished Australian composer recognized for her contributions to orchestral, chamber, and vocal repertoire. Her compositions frequently delve into themes such as home, place, humor, and the sense of connection within the context of modern Australian society.
Biography
Abbott's music has reached audiences worldwide, with performances and broadcasts spanning the UK, Europe, Asia, and the United States. Her works have been showcased at prominent events including the International Alliance for Women in Music conference in Beijing, the International Rostrum of Composers held in Poland, as well as international festivals in Melbourne, Perth, and Canberra.
She completed her doctoral studies at the University of Melbourne, where she was mentored by Stuart Greenbaum, Brenton Broadstock, and Linda Kouvaras, obtaining her PhD in 2007.
Her compositions are part of the curricula for both the Australian Music Examinations Board and ANZCA. Abbott’s published works are available through Reed Music, Promethean Editions (New Zealand), the Australian Music Centre, and Morton Music.
Abbott has produced five solo recordings: Sunburnt Aftertones: The Chamber Music of Katy Abbott (released by Move Records); The Domestic Sublime: The Vocal Music of Katy Abbott, Famous, Punch: The Brass Music of Katy Abbott, and The Peasant Prince (all issued by ABC Classics). The latter album features performances by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra alongside Li Cunxin.
Currently residing in Melbourne, Abbott serves as a senior lecturer in composition at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne.
Orchestral
- 2000 Carmen Vitae: Song of Life, created for Presbyterian Ladies' College’s 125th anniversary celebration
- 2009 The Peasant Prince for narrator and orchestra, commissioned jointly by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Australia
- 2012 Life Is But A Dream composed for orchestra upon commission from the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra
- 2014 Introduced Species written for orchestra, commissioned by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and awarded the Albert H. Maggs Prize
- 2020 Fast Ride In A Suave Machine, available in orchestral and wind symphony formats arranged by Stanke and Nicholas Williams
Chamber
- 2006 No Ordinary Traveller, a song cycle for mezzo-soprano with mixed trio ensemble, featuring texts by Jacki Holland; commissioned by Halcyon and Arts Victoria
- 2013 Midnight Songs scored for flugelhorn, trombone, and acoustic guitar; commissioned by Ensemble Three
- 2015 Re-echo, composed for vibraphone and cello duo
- 2017 Hidden Thoughts 1: Do I Matter?, created for The Song Company alongside Syzygy Ensemble (12 musicians), inspired by anonymous survey feedback from over two hundred women
- 2017 Earth Lullaby, arranged for Shakuhachi flute and string quartet
- 2017 Undercurrent II, written for trumpet in B-flat, trombone, electric guitar, and loop pedals
- 2020 Hidden Thoughts 2: Return to Sender, composed for female voice, narrator, and string quartet; was shortlisted for Art Music Awards: Work of the Year in Chamber Music category; sets letters expressing support from Australians to asylum seekers detained on Nauru and Manus Islands
Solo voice and instrumental works
- 2006 It Is Just The Heart, composed for soprano accompanied by a string quartet, commissioned by the Australia Council for the Arts
- 2007 Egyptian Register, written for mezzo-soprano and piano, featuring text by Ern Malley
- 2010 MultiSonics, a piece for solo bassoon
- 2011 The Domestic Sublime, crafted for soprano and piano, commissioned by Sydney Conservatorium of Music/Ars Musica Australis; with text by Chris Wallace-Crabbe; recipient of the 2013 Gold Medal for Art-Song from Boston Metro Opera and shortlisted in the vocal category of the 2013 APRA-AMCOS Art Music Awards
- 2013 Follow Me Through The Shadow, a trio for soprano, mezzo-soprano, and cello; text authored by Jen Storer; created for the Halcyon Ensemble
- 2017 Taking Chances, composed for solo hi-hat as well as versions for percussion quartet
Awards
- 2011 recipient of the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award
- 2012 awarded the Sylvia Glickman Memorial Award by the International Alliance for Women in Music
- 2013 earned the Gold Medal for Art Song from Boston Metro Opera for The Domestic Sublime (2011)
- 2018 appointed as New Music Fellow by the Australia Council for the Arts
- 2019 honored with the Paul Lowin Song Cycle Prize
External links
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1971 births
- Living people
- Australian composers
- Winners of the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award
- Australian women composers
- 21st-century Australian women composers
- University of Melbourne alumni
- Academic staff of the University of Melbourne