Senator the Hon Helen Coonan

Minister for Communications,

Information Technology

and the Arts

2005 Don Banks music award
Presentation of the 2005 Don Banks music award
Sydney
Friday 12 November 2004

Thank you David Gonski

Dr Graeme Koehne; Mr Adrian Collette, Ms Mary Jo Capps, Father Arthur Bridge , Ms Barbara Jane Gilby, ladies and gentleman

It is a real pleasure to be here at the Australia Council today to present the 2005 Don Banks Music Award to again recognise one of Australia 's finest composers.

The Don Banks Music Award publicly honours an artist of high distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to Australian music over a period of many years.

Today's winner is no exception! As Australians we can be proud to honour someone of such national and international acclaim.

So it is my particular pleasure to be here to honour a man who has done just that.
The recipient has devoted his life to creating music for Australians and indeed, the world, to enjoy.

It is through the creative imagination of people like today's recipient that helps to define who we are as human beings.

It has been said that Music is a celebration of life.

As all of us here today appreciate that music can lift our spirits and fill us with all conquering energy.

As Robert Browning, the English poet once said:

'He who hears music, feels his solitude peopled at once.'

Music is indeed many things to many people. Today I am pleased to be presenting the award to someone who has literally been playing music all his life.
From the age of five he started playing the cornet and five years later, took up the piano following an accident that saw him fracture three vertebrae.

Announcement

Now, I am pleased to announce that the 2005 recipient of the Don Banks Music Award is Mr Carl Vine.

All of us gathered here today will agree that Carl is a very worthy winner of this prestigious award.

Carl has a very impressive repertoire which includes six symphonies, six concerti, music for film, television and theatre, electronic music and numerous solo and chamber works.

He is a distinguished performer, conductor, artistic director and a strong supporter of Australian music and music artists.

Carl Vine biography

Carl has made his reputation as a composer for dance creating music for every major dance company in Australia .

His collaboration with the brilliant Graeme Murphy, Artistic Director for the Sydney Dan ce Company, is prolific.

Some of these works include:

•  Poppy in 1978 the first all Australian full length ballet;

•  Piano Sonata , a solo dance work;

•  Beauty and the Beast in 1990; and

•  Mythologia for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Arts Festival.

Mythologia you may recall was a defining cultural work and an icon of the festival.

Composer of orchestral music

Every orchestra in Australia has played at least one of Carl Vine's symphonies.
International orchestras on at least three continents have performed his symphonies and concerti.

In fact, in 1988 Carl's Symphony No 2 . was performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra across the continental United States .

Composer and performer of chamber music

More recently, since 2000 Carl has been the Artistic Director of Musica Viva Australia .

Prior to this prestigious appointment Carl, with Simone de Haan, founded the contemporary music performance ensemble Flederman (pr; Flay - da - man) where he acted as a pianist, composer, conductor and director.

Flederman conducted concert tours in the United Kingdom , Netherlands and Finland . In 1988 Flederman played at the opening night of the BBC Proms.

Carl's first Piano Sonata can lay claim to being the most performed contemporary work in piano competitions and master classes in the United States and Britain .

Carl has also won numerous awards for his music including the APRA/AMC Classical Music Award for Best Instrumental work 2002 for Piano Sonata No.1 .
His piano music has also featured at the Sydney International Piano Competition for the last three years.

Carl will be fondly remembered as a pioneer in early electronic music composition.

In 1968, at the age of just 14, Carl produced his first computer music and later went on to specialise in the creation of custom-built electronic performance instruments.

Conclusion

We are here today to recognise and honour Carl Vine not just because of what he has given to Australian music culture over several decades but what he continues to give back.

His work as a performer, conductor and advocate for Australian music and music artists, particularly through his current role as Artistic Director of Music Viva Australia , has shaped the music created and heard across Australia and in many ways across the globe

He is a mentor and guide to other composers

He is an advocate for composers and performers; providing opportunities for their works to be heard.

He is committed to audience development through education programs for young people as well as creating music specifically for young musicians.

Carl Vine engenders the spirit of the Don Banks Music Award. He is an artist of distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to Australian music over many years.

Carl, your music output has been considerable and it reflects a real commitment to different musical styles and tastes.

So now, it gives me great pleasure to present the 2005 Don Banks Music Award to Mr Carl Vine.