Holly Phillippa Harrison (born 1988) is an Australian composer based in Western Sydney.[1]
Early life and education
editHarrison grew up in the Hawkesbury region West of Sydney. She was awarded a music scholarship to attend St Paul's Grammar School for trumpet performance. During high school she began playing drum kit, performing with rock, punk and post-rock bands.[2]
Harrison graduated from Western Sydney University School of Music with a Bachelor of Music, First Class Honours, and was awarded the University Medal. She then went on to complete a Doctorate of Creative Arts in composition at Western Sydney University.[3]
Career
editHarrison's music is frequently performed across Australia and internationally. In Australia she has worked with leading orchestras including Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, as well as chamber ensembles including Ensemble Offspring,[4] Omega Ensemble,[5] and Australian String Quartet.[6] Internationally, she has collaborated with ensembles including Eighth Blackbird, Alarm Will Sound, Goldmund Quartett, Orkest de Ereprijs.[6]
Harrison's work Cabbages and Kings was awarded first place at the 2014 Young Composers Meeting in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, chaired by Dutch composer Louis Andriessen.[7]
In 2017, Harrison's Lobster Tales and Turtle Soup featured in Eighth Blackbird's Australian Tour with Musica Viva Australia.[8] Harrison was awarded the inaugural Sue W Chamber Music Composition Prize for the work [9] and Eighth Blackbird was later awarded Performance of the Year at the APRA Music Awards of 2018 for their performance of Lobster Tales and Turtle Soup.[10][11]
From 2020-2022 Harrison was composer in residence for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, in that time Harrison had five works premiered by the orchestra and conducted by Norwegian conductor Eivind Aadland.[12][13]
Harrison's Splinter for Wind Ensemble, originally written for orchestra, was premiered in 2021 by San Jose State University Wind Ensemble and has been performed across the US and Australia. Splinter was a finalist in the APRA Music Awards of 2021 for the large ensemble category.[14] Her first original work for Wind Ensemble POUNCE was commissioned by a consortium led by conductor Lucas Peterson,[15] the work was premiered in April 2023 and later that year was selected as a finalist in the NBA/William D. Revelli Memorial Composition Contest.
In 2022, Harrison was awarded the Western Sydney University Chancellor's Alumni of the Year Award at the annual University Alumni Awards.[16]
Awards and Nominations
edit| Year | Work | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Red Queen, White Queen, Alice and All | Pyeongchon Arts Hall International Chamber Music Composition Competition | Won | [6] |
| 2014 | Cabbages & Kings | Young Composers Meeting, Apeldoorn | Won | [6] |
| 2017 | Lobster Tales and Turtle Soup | Sue W Chamber Music Composition Prize | Won | [9] |
| 2018 | And Whether Pigs Have Wings | Nu Works Initiative, Nu Deco Ensemble | Won | [6] |
| 2018 | Lobster Tales and Turtle Soup | Performance of the Year (with Eighth Blackbird), APRA Music Awards of 2018 | Won | [10] |
| 2021 | Splinter | Work of the Year, Large Ensemble, APRA Music Awards of 2021 | Finalist | [14] |
| 2023 | POUNCE | NBA/William D. Revelli Memorial Composition Contest | Finalist | [6] |
References
edit- ^ "Holly Harrison". Holly Harrison. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
- ^ "Inside the Musician: Holly Harrison: My Musical World | Loud Mouth - The Music Trust Ezine". 2021-08-31. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
- ^ "A private viewing into the career of Holly Harrison | CutCommon". 2019-08-26. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
- ^ Sebag-Montefiore, Clarissa (2019-08-20). "Beyond the 'dead white dudes': how to solve the gender problem in Australian classical music". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
- ^ "Holly Harrison World Premiere: Daredevil". Limelight. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- ^ a b c d e f "Holly Harrison : Represented Artist Profile : Australian Music Centre". www.australianmusiccentre.com.au. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
- ^ "Young Australian composer wins international prize". Limelight. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
- ^ "Of lobster tales and turtle soup". Limelight. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
- ^ a b "Holly Harrison wins the Sue W Chamber Music Composition Prize". Limelight. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
- ^ a b "Winners of the 2018 Art Music Awards announced". Limelight. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
- ^ "Art Music Awards - APRA AMCOS & AMC". APRA AMCOS. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
- ^ "WE'RE THRILLED TO WELCOME HOLLY HARRISON TO THE TSO FAMILY". Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ Eslake, Stephanie. "THE PANDEMIC HASN'T STOPPED OUR RESIDENT COMPOSER HOLLY HARRISON FROM MAKING MUSIC". Tasmanian Symphony orchestra. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ a b "2021 Art Music Awards Finalists Announced". APRA AMCOS. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
- ^ Petersen, Lucas (2023). Pounce: An Original Work for Band by Holly Harrison a Conductor's Analysis (Thesis).[page needed]
- ^ Pearce, Cassidy (2022-11-08). "Penrith local wins WSU Alumni of the Year Award". The Western Weekender. Retrieved 2023-11-05.