Nigel Westlake

Nigel Westlake (born 6 September 1958) is an Australian composer, performer and conductor.

Background

Nigel Westlake was born 6th Sept 1958 in Perth, Western Australia, to parents Donald Westlake, clarinettist, & Heather Westlake (nee Sumner) violinist.

He went to NSW Conservatorium of Music High School, but left school early to pursue a professional career in music, studying clarinet with his father who was principal Clarinet with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

He started freelancing with various orchestras from age 17. As a clarinettist he worked doing recording sessions, chamber music concerts, theatre & ballet performances & tours, In 1979 he formed a 7 piece instrumental fusion band to play all original material.

Career Highlights

• 1978: first professional orchestral recording was Stravinski's "Rite of Spring" playing bass clarinet with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under conductor Willem Van Otterloo.
• 1979: Toured to China with the Australian Youth Orchestra. Received Australia Council Grant to form Magic Puddin' Band (a 7 piece instrumental fusion band) to perform original compositions.
• 1980: Toured to Canada with Flying Fruit Fly Circus band
• 1982: Studied Film Music at Australian Film & Television school with Bill Motzing
• 1983: Studied Bass Clarinet In Netherlands with Harry Sparnaay, & composition with Theo Leovendie
• 1983: First film score commission for a documentary for Film Australia
• 1984: Composed "Omphalo Centric Lecture" -initially for bass clarinet & 2 percussionist, but later developed for 4 percussion. It is one of the most frequently performed works in the percussion repertoire. It was premiered by the Sydney-based percussion group Synergy. It was recorded through the use of multitrack recording by Michael Askill in 1995 on the album "Onomatopoeia".
• 1985: Won Jazz Action Society Composition Competition
• 1986: Joined "Australia Ensemble" , a mixed chamber septept, resident at the University of NSW. With this group he toured as a soloist to China, Europe, UK, USA, Russia, India, New Zealand, Japan & throughout Australia.
• 1987: Composer in Residence for ABC Radio. Composed "Fabian Theory" for percussion & digital delay, & "Moving Air" for percussion quartet.
• 1988: Won Gold Medal at New York International Radio Festival
• 1990: Wrote "Malachite Glass for Percussion Quartet & bass Clarinet, & co-wrote score for 4 part documentary "Roads to Xanadu"
• 1991: Commissioned to write "Antarctica" Imax feature filmscore
• 1992: APRA music award for best Contemporary Classical Composition. Re-worked Antarctica filmscore into an Orchestral Suite for Guitar & Orchestra - commissioned for John Williams & the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in celebration of the ABC's 60th anniversary.
• 1992: Invited to join guitarist John Williams group "Attacca" for tours of UK & Australia
• 1993: Commissioned to write the filmscore of "Imagine" one of the very first 3D Imax movies to be made. Received an Australia Council Grant to study composition with Richard Meale, & conducting with Richard Mills.
• 1994: Wrote "Songs from the Forest" for 2 guitars
• 1995: Commissioned to write the score for "Celluloid Heroes" - a 4 part documentary in celebration of 100 years of Australian Cinema
• 1995: commissioned to write the feature filmscore for "Babe" which won the Golden Globe award for "Best film - Musical/Comedy" in 1996
• 1996: APRA music award for "Babe" filmscore. Wrote "The Invisible Men" for percussion quartet & silent movie, & " Invocations" for Bass Clarinet & Orchestra
• 1997: commissioned to write filmscore "Babe - Pig in the City".
• 1998: commissioned to write filmscore for " A Little Bit of Soul"
• 2000: Commissioned to write Imax feature filmscore "Solarmax" ; Also commissioned to write "Piano Concerto" for Michael Kieran Harvey & the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, & "Oscillations" for 2 pianos
• 2001: Commissioned to write feature filmscore "The Nuggett", & telemovie "Stepfather of the Bride"
• 2002: Commissioned to write "Piano trio" for Macquarie Trio
• 2003: Commissioned to write "Six Fish" for Guitar quartet
• 2004: Appointed "HC Coombes Creative Fellow " at Australian National University. Commissioned by Sydney Symphony to compose a Percussion Concerto.
• 2006: Relocated to UK to write filmscore for feature film "Miss Potter". Percussion concerto premiered by Rebecca Lagos with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
• 2007: Commissioned to write "Rare Sugar" clarinet concertino
• 2008: Formed "Smugglers of Light Foundation"
• 2008: Sailed the East Coast of Australia
• 2011: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Premiered "Missa Solis- Requiem for Eli" at Myer Music Bowl
• 2012: Received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of NSW

Awards and nominations

APRA-AMC Classical Music Awards

The APRA-AMC Classical Music Awards are presented annually by Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australian Music Centre (AMC).

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2005	Piano Concerto – Michael Kieran Harvey	Best Performance of an Australian Composition	Nominated
	Six Fish – Saffire Guitar Quartet	Instrumental Work of the Year	Won
	Crystal Spheres – Solarmax film orchestra	Orchestral Work of the Year	Nominated
2007	When the Clock Strikes Me - Rebecca Lagos (soloist), Sydney Symphony	Best Performance of an Australian Composition	Won
2008	Rare Sugar - The Australia Ensemble and Catherine McCorkill (clarinetist)	Best Performance of an Australian Composition	Won
	Glass Soldier Suite – Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Geoffrey Payne (cornet), Jean-Louis Forestier (conductor)	Orchestral Work of the Year	Nominated

APRA-AGSC Screen Music Awards

The annual APRA-AGSC Screen Music Awards are presented by APRA and Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) for television and film scores and soundtracks.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2005	Hell Has Harbour Views	Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie	Won
2007	Miss Potter	Feature Film Score of the Year	Won
		Best Soundtrack Album	Won
	Stepfather of the Bride	Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie	Won

Other

• 2012: Winner Art Music Awards / Orchestral Work of the Year / Missa Solis - Requiem for Eli
• 2012: Honorary Doctor of Music (honoris causa) awarded by the University of New South Wales
• 2011: Winner Limelight 2011 Awards / Best New Composition / Missa Solis - Requiem for Eli
• 2007: Winner APRA/AGSC Award / Feature Film Score of the Year / Miss Potter
• 2007: Winner APRA/AGSC Award / Best Soundtrack Album / Miss Potter
• 2007: Winner / APRA/AGSC Award / Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie / Stepfather of the Bride
• 2007: Nomination / World Soundtrack Awards / "When you Taught me How to Dance" from Miss Potter / Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film
• 2007: Nomination / International Film Music Critics Association / Best Original Score for a Comedy film Miss Potter
• 2005: Winner APRA/AGSC Award / Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie / Hell Has Harbour Views
• 2005: Winner APRA / AMC Awards / Instrumental work of the year / Six Fish
• 2003: Winner AGSC/ APRA Awards / Best Feature Film score / The Nugget
• 2003: Nomination / AGSC/ APRA Awards / Best film score / Horseplay
• 2002: - Nomination for / Sounds Australian / APRA Awards / Urban Myths
• 2001: Winner / A.G.S.C. APRA Award / Best music for a soundtrack / Solarmax
• 1998: Winner / A.G.S.C. Award / Best Original Music / A Little Bit of Soul
• 1998: Winner / Jean Bogan Memorial Prize for piano composition / Piano Sonata No. 1
• 1998: Winner / APRA Music Award / Most performed Classical Work / The Edge
• 1997: Highly commended / Paul Lowin Orchestral Award / Invocations
• 1997: Winner / Film Critics Circle of Australia Award / Best Original Music / Children of the Revolution
• 1997: Winner / Film Critics Circle of Australia Award / Best Original Music /Babe
• 1996: Winner / AGSC Award / Best Original Music / Children of the Revolution
• 1996: Winner / AGSC / APRA Award / Best Soundtrack Album / The Edge
• 1996: Winner / APRA Music A / Best Film Score / Babe
• 1996: Nomination / AFI Awards / Best Original Music / Children of the Revolution
• 1995: Winner / AGSC /Best Music / The Celluloid Heroes
• 1993: Nomination / ARIA Awards / Best Film Soundtrack / Antarctica
• 1992: Winner / APRA Awards / Contemporary Classical Composition of the Year
• 1992: 2 Nominations / APRA Award / Contemporary Classical Composition of the Year
• 1990: Nomination / APRA Awards / Most Performed Serious Work
• 1989: Nomination / APRA Awards / Most Performed Serious Work
• 1988: Gold Medal / Best Original Music / New York International Radio Festival.
• 1986: Selected as entrant for the Paris Rostrum.
• 1985: 1st prize Jazz Action Society Composition Competition
• 1984: 3rd prize Jazz Action Society Composition Competition.

Filmography

• Candy Regentag (1989)
• Act of Necessity (1991)
• Antarctica (1991)
• Backsliding (1991)
• Babe (1995)
• Children of the Revolution (1996)
• Wild Australia: The Edge (1996)
• Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
• A Little Bit of Soul (1998)
• Solarmax (2000)
• The Nugget (2002)
• Horseplay (2003)
• Hell Has Harbour Views (2005)
• Miss Potter (2006)
• Stepfather of the Bride (2006)

Personal life

Westlake is married to Jan Loquet Westlake, and together, they had two sons, Joel was born 17th October, 1983, & Eli born 22nd July,1986. Eli passed away on 7 June 2008, a few weeks before his 22nd birthday.

Westlake composed Missa Solis - Requiem for Eli and dedicated it to Eli. It was premiered by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the Myer Music Bowl in Feb, 2011.

External links

• Nigel Westlake at IMDb
• Nigel Westlake discography at Discogs
• Rimshot Music