Barry Conyngham

Barry Ernest Conyngham,, (born 27 August 1944) is an Australian composer and academic. He has over 70 published works and over 30 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 former Dean of the Faculty of the Fine Arts 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 second 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
PUBLISHED SCORES
 * Bennelong (about the Australian Aborigine Bennelong; included puppets by Mirka Mora)

(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 (written for the Indonesian pianist Ananda Sukarlan	) 				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
 * GATHERING (2015) for 8–24 cellos					Hal Leonard/CoEdition
 * DIASPORAS (2016) for orchestra					Hal Leonard/CoEdition
 * PETRACHOR (2017) for Chamber Orchestra			Composer
 * BUSHFIRE DREAMING (2018) for String Orchestra		Composer
 * ONE SMALL STEP (2019) for orchestra				Hal Leonard/Composer
 * MALLORCA SERENADE (2019) Guitar & Chamber Orchestra	Composer
 * HAIKU (2021) for piano						   Composer
 * SYMPHONY 2(2021) for orchestra					Composer

ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.

! Ref.
 * 1987
 * Southern Cross Ice Carving
 * Best Classical Album
 * Won
 * Won