2024 Art Music Awards: Choral pioneer Lyn Williams AM to receive the honour of Distinguished Services to Australian Music
Music performances announced
Presented by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre (AMC), the eminent Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music will be presented to Lyn Williams AM at the Art Music Awards on Wednesday 14 August in Melbourne/ Naarm.
In the true spirit of its namesake, the honour is awarded to Williams for her decades-long dedication to choral performance and music development in Australia.
Williams’ contribution to Australian choral music has been unmatched since the conception of the Sydney Children’s Choir in 1989. Its gradual evolution saw the formation of the Gondwana Choirs, which today encompasses Gondwana Voices, Gondwana Chorale, Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choirs and the Indigenous women’s choir, Marliya.
Williams’ artistic vision through the Gondwana Choirs has seen the commissioning of over 200 new choral works, many of which involve Australian composers and deep engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and cultures. The critically-acclaimed show Spinifex Gum (with singer-songwriter Felix Riebl and the singers of Marliya) is just one of those exemplary works which has featured in almost every Australian arts festival since its premiere in 2018.
Over 35 years, the Gondwana Choirs has built a legacy of remarkable performances, with highlights including the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the monumental Gondwana World Choral Festival in 2019.
To date, Williams has received numerous accolades recognising her contributions to Australian music. Most recently, she was named a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019 and, following her steadfast leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic, was nominated for NSW Australian of the Year in 2022.
Beyond these honours, Williams’ legacy extends through the choristers who have followed her footsteps to become musicians, continuing the work of inspiring others to connect through the power of music and song.
The recipient of the Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music is determined by the APRA AMCOS and AMC Boards of Directors.
On receiving the honour, Williams said: "I am delighted to be the recipient of this prestigious honour. Richard Gill had such an incredible impact on young musicians, and it is a great pleasure to be associated with such a strong and enduring legacy.
"I share this recognition with the thousands of wonderful singers, choral conductors and music educators who have contributed so much to the musical voice of our country through their involvement in the Sydney Children’s Choir and the Gondwana Choirs, encompassing Gondwana Voices, Gondwana Chorale, Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choirs, and the Indigenous women’s choir, Marliya. "
The honour will be presented at the Art Music Awards and accompanied by live music performances curated by Sia Ahmad. The line-up will represent the diverse breadth of contemporary Australian art music practice, including works by Cheryl Durongpisitkul; Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 & Sui Zhen; Cameron Lam (by The Consort of Melbourne); Daniel Wilfred, David Wilfred, Sunny Kim, Peter Knight and Aviva Endean; and Bree van Reyk.
2024 ART MUSIC AWARDS
Wednesday 14 August @ 5.45pm
Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt St, Southbank
Hosted by Stéphanie Kabanyana Kanyandekwe with Miranda Hill and Benjamin
Northey, with music curation by Sia Ahmad