Rubiks Collective, the Melbourne-based contemporary art music ensemble, has named Bianca Gannon as the winner of its 2019 Pythia Prize. The announcement was made last night at the Rubiks Collective concert Sculptress, which featured music by five female composers. The line-up included the world premiere of a piece called Waiting by Christine McCombe, the winner of the 2018 Pythia Prize.

Launched in 2017, the Pythia Prize is Rubiks’ annual commission project addressing gender equality and diversity in contemporary art music. The prize supports an Australian female or gender nonconforming composer to collaborate with Rubiks to create a new work for the ensemble’s 2020 season. The winner, Bianca Gannon, spoke to Limelight.

Bianca Gannon. Photograph © Leo Dale

I believe you were born in Canada and raised in Ireland. When did you come to Australia?

I moved to Melbourne in 2014, right after living in West Java as a recipient of the Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship.

Can you tell us about where you studied music, and what course you did?

I have a Bachelor of Music from Cardiff University, majoring in Composition and 20th Century Analysis, but so much of my learning has come from collaborations, studying...