New album for Australia's National Carillon

The Australian National University (ANU) School of Music will partner with the National Capital Authority (NCA) to commission an album of new Australian music for the National Carillon in Canberra.

 

The album has been commissioned as part of an Australia Council for the Arts Grant Program and will see the ANU and NCA jointly fund Carillon pieces by 10 of the nation’s leading composers.

 

“We are thrilled to have received this funding for this fantastic project involving one of the nation’s most iconic music instruments located in Canberra,” said senior carillonist Dr Thomas Laue from the ANU School of Music.

 

“This project will establish strong artistic and cultural links between the ANU School of Music, the NCA and the Canberra International Music Festival as well as the wider Canberra community,” Dr Laue said.

 

NCA Chief Executive, Malcolm Snow, believes the agency’s contribution will provide a unique opportunity for internationally-recognised artists to play on one of Australia’s most loved and largest musical instruments.

 

“As the agency responsible for the maintenance and funding of the Carillon, an important cultural asset, the NCA is delighted to have such a brilliant line-up of composers showcasing their work on this amazing instrument,” Mr Snow said.

 

“This program will no doubt raise the profile of the Carillon and showcase its capability to local, national and international audiences.”

 

The 10 composers, including Emeritus Professor Larry Sitsky AM and Dr Natalie Williams at the ANU School of Music, will work with Dr Laue and the Carillon’s lead carillonist, Lyn Fuller.

 

“There is a lack of carillon music by Australian composers,” Ms Fuller said.

 

“To be able to take Australian carillon music and present it both here and overseas brings Australian Composers to the World and adds to the Carillon Repertoire. This new Album is an exciting step in filling that void.”

The album will receive its world premiere at a free community concert in Canberra in May 2017 to coincide with the Canberra International Music Festival, and at the World Carillon Federation World Congress in Barcelona in July 2017.

 

The 10 composers are: 

 

The project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.