The Australian Voices
Encyclopedia
The Australian Voices are a choral ensemble based in Brisbane
, Australia
.
In 1993 Graeme Morton
and Stephen Leek
founded The Australian Voices, an ensemble of young adult singers who work to promote Australian composers. The Australian Voices has performed and promoted new Australian music throughout Australia
, Europe
, the USA, Central America
, Canada
and Asia
. They have performed for Australian Broadcasting Commission radio live concerts, appeared at major concerts for festivals and events, and produced seven CDs and two kits on creative choral singing.
Stephen Leek
retired as artistic director and conductor of the group in August 2009 and a new director, Gordon Hamilton
, was appointed.
In 2011, The Australian Voices produced The Facebook Song a YouTube video of a piece composed by Gordon Hamilton which takes a series of Facebook status updates and connects them in song.
The Australian Voices have received numerous accolades, including:
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
In 1993 Graeme Morton
Graeme Morton
Graeme Morton is an Australian composer and conductor, currently directing the St Peters Chorale and Brisbane Chamber Choir. With these choirs, he has produced numerous recordings. In 1993 he and Stephen Leek created The Australian Voices.-References:...
and Stephen Leek
Stephen Leek
Stephen Leek is an Australian composer, conductor, educator, and publisher.-Early life:Leek was born in Sydney, Australia in 1959, lived in Brisbane from 1964 through 1969, and then spent the rest of his childhood in Canberra...
founded The Australian Voices, an ensemble of young adult singers who work to promote Australian composers. The Australian Voices has performed and promoted new Australian music throughout Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the USA, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. They have performed for Australian Broadcasting Commission radio live concerts, appeared at major concerts for festivals and events, and produced seven CDs and two kits on creative choral singing.
Stephen Leek
Stephen Leek
Stephen Leek is an Australian composer, conductor, educator, and publisher.-Early life:Leek was born in Sydney, Australia in 1959, lived in Brisbane from 1964 through 1969, and then spent the rest of his childhood in Canberra...
retired as artistic director and conductor of the group in August 2009 and a new director, Gordon Hamilton
Gordon Hamilton (composer)
Gordon Hamilton is an Australian composer and conductor. Since 2009, he has been the Artistic Director of The Australian Voices. He was born in Newcastle, lived and worked in Bremen, Germany for five years as a conductor and composer and he now lives in Brisbane.He studied in Australia at the...
, was appointed.
In 2011, The Australian Voices produced The Facebook Song a YouTube video of a piece composed by Gordon Hamilton which takes a series of Facebook status updates and connects them in song.
The Australian Voices have received numerous accolades, including:
- the Australian Music CentreAustralian Music CentreThe Australian Music Centre fosters the development of an Australian music community by providing specialist support to its membership of performers, composers, sound artists, educators, students, and music specialists across Australia and throughout the world.The AMC is the Australian national...
award for Outstanding Contribution to Australian Music in a Regional Area (2008); - multiple gold medals at the World Choir GamesWorld Choir GamesThe World Choir Games is the largest choir competition in the world. Organized for amateur choirs from all over the world, regardless of their country of origin, race, genre of music or artistic ambitions, its motto is "Singing together brings nations together"...
in Xiamen, China (2006); - first prize in the Youth Choir Category, First Prize in the Chamber Choir Category and finalists in the Choir of the World Competition at the International EisteddfodInternational EisteddfodThe Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is a music festival which takes place every year during the second week of July in Llangollen, North Wales. Singers and dancers from around the world are invited to take part in over 20 high quality competitions followed each evening by concerts where...
in Llangollen, Wales (2001); - 'Best Performance' and other major prizes at the Bela Bartok International Choral Competition in Hungary (1998);
- an invitation to perform as the official Australian Choir at the 4th World Symposium on Choral Music, held in Sydney (1996);
- the Sunnie Award for Best Classical Recording, for the CD “Great Southern SpiritsGreat Southern SpiritsGreat Southern Spirits is a composition by Australian composer Stephen Leek. It is in four movements: Wirindji, Mulga, Kondalilla and Uluru. It was first recorded by The Australian Voices, under the direction of Graeme Morton, on their album of the same name in 1993....
” (1994)..