Barry Conyngham

Barry Conyngham
Born	Barry Ernest Conyngham (1944-08-27) 27 August 1944 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Alma mater	University of Sydney University of California, San Diego
Occupation	Australian composer, academic

Emeritus Professor Barry Ernest Conyngham, AM , (born 27 August 1944) is an Australian composer and academic. He has over seventy published works and over thirty recordings featuring his compositions, and his works have been premiered or performed in Australia, Japan, North and South America, the United Kingdom and Europe. His output is largely for orchestra, ensemble or dramatic forces. He is an Emeritus Professor of both the University of Wollongong and Southern Cross University. He is currently Dean of the Faculty of the VCA and Music at the University of Melbourne.

Biography

Conyngham was born in Sydney. He was initially interested in jazz, and studied with Raymond Hanson and Richard Meale but turned his attention to orchestral writing in the mid-1960s with encouragement from Peter Sculthorpe. He completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Sydney in 1967, and a Master of Arts (Hons.) at the same university in 1971. In 1970 he visited Japan on a Churchill Fellowship, where he studied with Toru Takemitsu. This was unusual, as Australian composers typically chose Europe and Britain as their location for further study.

In 1972 he went to the United States on a Harkness Fellowship and gained a Certificate of Post-Doctoral Studies from the University of California, San Diego in 1973. He was a Fellow of Princeton University 1973–74, and Composer-in-Residence at the University of Aix-Marseille in 1974–75. He was a Lecturer at the University of Melbourne from 1975 to 1979, then Senior Lecturer 1975–79. He was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Minnesota, was a Senior Fulbright Fellow in 1982, and that year gained a Doctorate in Music from the University of Melbourne. He became Professor and Head of the School of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong 1989–94. He was the Foundation Vice-Chancellor of Southern Cross University 1994–2000, based in Lismore, New South Wales.

He was the first musician to hold the Chair of Australian Studies at Harvard University (2000–2001).

In 1978, he won the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award (he won it again in 2008). In 1997, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), "for service to music as a composer and to music education and administration".

In 2000, Barry Conyngham was invited to give the 2nd Annual Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address for the Sydney Spring Festival.

In 2003, he was given a commission by the Ian Potter Music Commission Fellowship.

Conyngham has been involved with a number of arts organisations, including the World Music Council, Opera Australia, the Australian Music Centre and the Swiss Global Artistic Foundation. He has also been chairman of the Music Board of the Australia Council.

After retiring from academic life to concentrate on composition and music performance, on 22 December 2010 he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of the VCA and Music at the University of Melbourne.

Works

• Bennelong (about the Australian Aborigine Bennelong; included puppets by Mirka Mora)

PUBLISHED SCORES

(Universal Edition London, Vienna. Boosey & Hawkes London, Sydney. Hal Leonard/CoEdition Melbourne.)

CRISIS: THOUGHTS IN A CITY (1968) for orchestra UE 29004 THE LITTLE SHERIFF (1969) for solo piano UE 29132 FIVE WINDOWS (1969) for orchestra UE 29007 THREE (1969) for string quartet and percussion UE 29010 FIVE (1970) for wind quintet UE 29088 WATER...FOOTSTEPS...TIME... (1970) for orchestra UE 29060 ICE CARVING (1970) for orchestra UE 29085 PLAYBACK (1972) for solo contrabass and 4-channel tape UE 29081 WITHOUT GESTURE (1973) for orchestra UE 29080 FROM VOSS (1973) for soprano and percussion UE 29090(10) EDWARD JOHN EYRE (1971–73) chamber opera UE 29067 SNOWFLAKE (1973) solo for keyboards UE 29082 SIX (1971) for percussion and orchestra UE 29128 MIRROR IMAGES (1975) for ensemble UE 29127 NED (1974–77) opera UE 29133 SKY (1977) for string orchestra UE 29212 THE APOLOGY OF BONY ANDERSON (1978) opera UE 29218 MIRAGES (1978) for orchestra UE 29223 BONY ANDERSON (1978) chamber opera UE 29225 SHADOWS OF NOH Concerto for Double Bass (1979) UE 29244(20) BASHO (1980) for soprano and ensemble UE 29239 JOURNEYS (1980) solo wind (clarinets and saxophones) UE 29242 VIOLA (1981) for solo viola UE 29222 IMAGINARY LETTERS (1981) for chamber choir UE 29230 HORIZONS, Concerto for Orchestra (1980) UE 29270 SOUTHERN CROSS, Concerto for Violin and Piano (1981) UE 29252 DWELLINGS (1982) for ensemble UE 29255 VOICINGS (1983) for ensemble and tape UE 29265 CELLO CONCERTO (1984) for cello and string orchestra UE 29262 FLY (1982–84) opera UE 29338(30) PREVIEW (1984) for solo cello UE 29292 ANTIPODES (1984–85) for orchestra, chorus and soloists UE 29300 GENERATIONS (1985) for orchestra UE 29300 THE OATH OF BAD BROWN BILL (1985) children’s opera UE 29303 RECURRENCES (1986) for large orchestra UE29323 VAST I 'The Sea' (1987) for orchestra UE 29326 VAST II 'The Coast' (1987) for orchestra UE 29329 VAST III 'The Centre' (1987) for orchestra UE 29332 VAST IV 'The Cities' (1987) for orchestra UE 29335 GLIMPSES (1987) for chamber orchestra UE 29348(40) BENNELONG (1988) puppet opera UE 29345 MATILDA (1988) chorus and orchestra UE 29340 STREAMS (1988) for flute, harp and viola UE 29350 MONUMENTS, Concerto for Piano (1989) UE 29400 WATERWAYS, Concerto for Viola (1990) UE 29401 CLOUDLINES, Concerto for Harp (1991) UE 29500 AWAKENINGS (1991) for solo harp UE 29501 SHININGS (1992) for ensemble UE 29550 DECADES (1992) for orchestra UE 29552 BUNDANON (1994) for piano and orchestra Boosey&Hawkes(50) AFTERIMAGES (1993) for koto and percussion UE 29560 AFTERIMAGES 2 (1994) for koto and orchestra Boosey&Hawkes DAWNING (1996) for orchestra Boosey&Hawkes NOSTALGIA (1997) for string orchestra Boosey&Hawkes PASSING (1998) for orchestra Boosey&Hawkes YEARNINGS (1999) for ensemble Boosey&Hawkes STRING QUARTET (1999) Boosey&Hawkes SEASONS (2000) for percussion and orchestra Boosey&Hawkes FLUTE (2001) for solo flute Boosey&Hawkes ANTIPODS (2001) for two pianos Boosey&Hawkes(60) ORGAN (2001) for organ Boosey&Hawkes FIX (2001-2004) for solo baritone and orchestra Boosey&Hawkes PLAYGROUND (2002) for violin, clarinet and piano Boosey&Hawkes VEILS 1 (2003) for solo piano Boosey&Hawkes VEILS 2 (2003) for solo piano Boosey&Hawkes DREAMS GO WANDERING STILL (2003) orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition CATHEDRAL 1 (2005) for cello and piano Hal Leonard/CoEdition NOW THAT DARKNESS (2005) for orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition CATHEDRAL 2 (2006) for clarinet and piano Hal Leonard/CoEdition TO THE EDGE (2006) for chamber orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition (70) ELECTRIC LENIN (2005-6) chamber opera Hal Leonard/CoEdition STRING QUARTET 3 (2007) (Bushfire Dreaming) Hal Leonard/CoEdition CALA TUENT (2007-8) orchestra & folk instruments Hal Leonard/CoEdition KANGAROO ISLAND, Concerto for Double Bass (2009) Hal Leonard/CoEdition SHOWBOAT KALANG (2010) for ensemble Hal Leonard/CoEdition GARDENER OF TIME (2009–11) for orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition FALLINGWATER (2011) two bassoons and orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition SILHOUETTES(2011) Flute and Guitar Hal Leonard/CoEdition SYMPHONY (2012) for orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition TIME TIDES TENDERNESS (2013) piano trio and strings Hal Leonard/CoEdition(80) DRYSPELL…DELUGE (2014) Ensemble Hal Leonard/CoEdition ANZAC (2014) for Nine Soloist and orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition

Sources

• Harvard University Gazette

External links

• Barry Conyngham : Represented Artist (Australian Music Centre)

Academic offices
New title	Vice-Chancellor of Southern Cross University 1994 – 2000	Succeeded by Paul Clark