News
PAUL STANHOPE SIGNS WITH WISE MUSIC
"Through his prolific and varied body of work, Paul Stanhope has established himself as one of the key voices in modern Australian contemporary music. Stanhope combines his mastery of traditional Western and modernist techniques into a refreshingly unique and engaging personal style. Ranging anywhere from sardonic wit, to lyricism and rhythmic exuberance, his music has great variety and a very mature sense of narrative and humour." For further information contact Ben Pierpoint: e:ben.pierpoint@wisemusic.com
NYILAMUM – SONG CYCLES: World Premiere in Amsterdam, Australian Premiere at Adelaide Festival
nyilamum – song cycles was premiered in the Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam in February 2024 as part of the International String Quartet Biennale by Dr Lou Bennett AM and The Australian String Quartet (pictured). This Indigenous-led major new work was co-composed by Paul Stanhope and Dr Lou Bennett and features a compelling narrative in Lou's dja dja wurrung language. It was described by The Guardian as 'Atmospheric and compelling'. The piece received its Ausralian premiere at the Adelaide Fesival to a sold out Adelaide Town Hall and received a 5 star review in Limelight Magazine(read here).
REQUIEM PERFORMANCES, 2025
Paul's Requiem receives two performances by two different choir and ensemble combinations in Sydney and Brisbane. Sydney Chamber Choir features this piece in its 50th Anniversary Gala Concert on 5 July (City Recital Hall, Sydney) while the Australian Voices team up with Ensemble Q to give the piece its Queensland premiere in October. The Sydney performance will also feature the premiere of a new a cappella work in celebration of the choir's half century: We might be Fifty
MAHASAGAR - World Premiere 2025
A major new work – Mahasagar (referring to the Indian Ocean) has its world premiere with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Chorus with soloists Sara Macliver and Andrew Goodwin. Around 35 minutes in duration and in five movements, this is Paul's first major choral-orchestral work since Jandamarra.
Picture: WASO Chorus
ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCES 2025
Two upcoming orchestral performances: Dirrari Lament, in the opening gala concert at the Canberra International Music Festival, performed by Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, and Paul's Takemitsu prize-winning work, Fantasia on a Theme of Vaughan Williams, performed by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra on 5 May.
ALL HAIL AVÉ!
AVÉ - The Australian Vocal Ensemble - have recorded a second album of newly-commissioned music which sets the wonderful poetry of Gwen Harwood. Paul's piece Triste is the first single on the album and you can check it out here.
GIVING GROUND
Commissioned by the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Philharmonia Baroque (San Fransisco) Giving Ground is a contemporary take on the Baroque La Follia chord sequence used by Geminiani, Lully and other composers. After three (!) cancellations due to Covid, its Australian premiere was given by the ACO Collective led by Erin Helyard at the wonderful new performance space at Pier 2/3 Hickson Road, Dawes Point in Sydney. It has since been recorded by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for a future release and had its New York premiere by the North /South Consonance Chamber Orchestra in January 2025.
OCEAN PLANET – Orchestral piece premiered by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Paul's Latest orchestral piece, Ocean Planet, is a new work exploring maritime themes of underwater life, the energy and beauty of the sea and the dangers posed by industrialisation and climate change. It was premiered by the SSO, conducted by James Judd in the concert hall of Sydney Opera House on 7 December 2022.
STRING QUARTETS recording
October 2022: The Australian String Quartet released its recording of Paul's Three Quartets on a new CD, which was rated as 'Outstanding' in Loudmouth magazine. CLICK HERE to order a copy!
VIOLIN SONATA No. 2 – VIDEO and APRA AWARDS PERFORMANCE
Also at the APRA/AMC awards, a performance of Paul's Violin Sonata 'Machine Codes' by Andrew Haveron, violin and Simon Tedeschi, piano, was a finalist for 'Performance of the Year'. You can check it out here – LINK
WILFRID GORDON MCDONALD PARTRIDGE – SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS
January 2022: the collaboration between the Australian Chamber Orchestra, director Sandie Eldridge and Paul has been recognised with a Sydney Theatre Award. This children's theatre piece premiered in April, 2021. A revival and national tour will begin in May 2023: look out for details.
DAVID H. Tribe Symphonic Composition Award, 2021.
Paul Stanhope's Trombone Concerto 'Starblaze' (2017) was recently awarded the David Harold Tribe Symphonic Composition award. The judges wrote that this work "was beautifully crafted, not just for the soloist but also within the entire orchestral context. It was well-paced and demonstrated a highly idiomatic while exploratory use of the soloist. This is a substantial work with a large emotional range. The result was fresh and exciting."
JANDAMARRA RETURNS!
The epic music-drama 'Jandamarra – Sing for the Country' made a triumphant return to the stage in a performance presented by The Sydney Conservatorium of Music, in partnership with Gondwana Choirs, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and Bunuba Cultural Enterprises in the beautiful surrounds of the Sydney Town Hall in October 2019. The earthy sounds of Kimberley song are intertwined into a vast soundscape of choral and orchestral textures, while narrators, actors, singers and dancers tell the story of Jandamarra, the Kimberley resistance hero from the late ninetheenth century. A piece of great cultural significance, it was described as a 'Milestone of Australian Music' when it premiered in 2014.
The 2019 performance is the first outing of the second edition of the piece which includes a greater involvement from the Bunuba nation cast and an expanded use of symphonic resources to aid the story telling. The sold-out Sydney Town Hall performance was received with an ecstatic standing ovation. Read a review here!
If you are interested in presenting this piece, please email steve@jandamarra.com.au
THE HEAVENS DECLARE - MSO Performances 2017
Paul's choral-orchestral work 'The Heavens Declare' has had a significant makeover with a new orchestration and thorough revision. Some 16 years after its 1st performance, it has had a new outing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Sir Andrew Davis in Hamer Hall, March 2017. The texts from the Old Testament (Latin Vulgate version) are a series of tableaux, expressing wonder at the expanse of the universe as well as the fragile place of humanity within its vastness.
Sir Andrew Davis with Paul Stanhope
DAWN and DARKNESS - CELLO CONCERTO (2016)
Paul's new Cello Concerto, "Dawn and Darkness" was premiered on 4 May 2016 by the young virtuoso, Narek Hakhnazaryan and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (cond. Oleg Caetani) at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. It got a great response from critics and audience alike. Read a review here!
Pictures: 1) In rehearsal with Narek Hakhnazaryan and the SSO, May 2016. 2) Paul and Narek working on details of the cadenza in the bowels of the Sydney Opera House.
