Nigel Westlake
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (October 2012) |
Nigel Westlake (born 6 September 1958) is an Australian composer, performer and conductor.
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. 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
Omphalo Centric Lecture for percussion quartet is one of the most frequently performed works in the percussion repertoire, was composed in 1984. 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"
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's life was taken 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.
Awards & Nominations: 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)
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).[1]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Piano Concerto – Michael Kieran Harvey | Best Performance of an Australian Composition[2] | Nominated |
| Six Fish – Saffire Guitar Quartet | Instrumental Work of the Year[3] | Won | |
| Crystal Spheres – Solarmax film orchestra | Orchestral Work of the Year[2] | Nominated | |
| 2007 | When the Clock Strikes Me - Rebecca Lagos (soloist), Sydney Symphony | Best Performance of an Australian Composition[4] | Won |
| 2008 | Rare Sugar - The Australia Ensemble and Catherine McCorkill (clarinetist) | Best Performance of an Australian Composition[5] | Won |
| Glass Soldier Suite – Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Geoffrey Payne (cornet), Jean-Louis Forestier (conductor) | Orchestral Work of the Year[6] | 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.[7]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Hell Has Harbour Views | Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie[8] | Won |
| 2007 | Miss Potter | Feature Film Score of the Year[9] | Won |
| Best Soundtrack Album[9] | Won | ||
| Stepfather of the Bride | Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie[9] | Won
|
References
- ^ "Classical Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ^ a b "2005 Finalists - Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ "2005 Winners - Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ "2007 Winners - Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ^ "2008 Winners - Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 29 April 2010.
- ^ "2008 Finalists - Classical Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 29 April 2010.
- ^ "Screen Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ^ "2005 Winners - Screen Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ a b c "2007 Winners - Screen Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 2 May 2010.
External links
- Nigel Westlake at IMDb
- Nigel Westlake discography at Discogs
- Rimshot Music
