APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre have announced the finalists for this year’s Art Music Awards, with many first-time finalists, emerging composers and past winners in the mix. Celebrating excellence and innovation in contemporary Australian art music, past winners are a distinguished bunch including Liza Lim, Brett Dean, Paul Grabowsky and Cat Hope.

CEO of the Australian Music John Davis has commended the range of finalists this year, stating: “This is testament to the vibrancy of our art music scene, reflecting a rich landscape of creative practice across the sector.”

Those up for Orchestral Work of the Year are Paul Stanhope for his Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra, Andrián Pertout for his Entropia for Symphony Orchestra, Maria Grenfell for her Spirals for Clarinet and Bassoon, and Lachlan Skipworth for Spiritus.

Paul Stanhope

An equally strong group of contenders have been shortlisted for this year’s Instrumental Work of the Year category. They are composers Jakub Jankowski for his Aspects of Return, Lisa Illean for Cantor (after Willa Cather), Corrina Bonshek for Up in the Clouds, and Lisa Cheney for When We Speak.

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