History Location and Background of Commssions and Premieres
1967-70 Living SYDNEY
DIALOGUES for STRING TRIO (1968)
World Premiere: Arthur Leech String Quartet 8 June 1968, Cell Block Theatre, Sydney, Australia.
FARBEN for double choir (1968) UE 29001
World Premiere: Pro Musica Choir Adelaide Festival April 1968, Adelaide, Australia.
CRISIS: THOUGHTS IN A CITY (1968) for orchestra UE 29004
Commission: Australian Youth Orchestra (1968)
World Premiere: AYO (Moshe Atzmon conductor), 28 May 1969, Sydney, Australia
Suggestion from John Hopkin - Rehearsal Jan 1969 at Gelong Grammer with AYO -drove from Sydney ended with drive through bushfires at Lara 23 died 17 motorists 280 fires that day
THE LITTLE SHERIFF for piano (1969) UE 29132
Music for film about a boy dressed in cowboy suit kicking a tin along the road.
Filmmaker: David Perry who “won prizes for his filmmaking and cinematography, beginning with his first short in the seventiesThe Little Sheriff” 1965-71
COLLAGE (1969) for orchestra
World Premiere: Abbotsleigh School Orchestra (Peter Richardson conductor), 11 April 1969, Sydney, Australia
FIVE WINDOWS (1969) for orchestra UE 29007
Commission: Australian Broadcasting Commission (1969)
World Premiere: West Australian Symphony (Thomas Mayer conductor), 16 0ct 1969, Perth, Australia
British Premiere: London Youth Orchestra- (Malcolm Singer conductor) 26 July 1983,
London UK
THREE (1969) for string quartet & percussion UE 29010
Commission: Musica Viva Australia
World Premiere: Austral String Quartet, 21 November1970, Sydney, Australia
FIVE (1970) for wind quintet UE 29088
Commission: University of New South Wales
World Premiere: Australian Wind Quintet, June 1971, Sydney, Australia
1970 30th May - 14th October living JAPAN Tokyo-Osaka
Study with Toru Takemitsu in Tokyo
Apartment in Meguro, near Toru. Managed by Tokyo Art Bureau.
Ice Carving almost finished and WFT drafted in Tokyo but completed in Sydney after return.
WATER...FOOTSTEPS...TIME... (1970) for orchestra UE 29060
Commission: Australian Broadcasting Commission
World Premiere: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (John Hopkins conductor), 2 March 1971, Melbourne, Australia
ICE CARVING (1970) for violin & 4 string orchestras UE 29085
Premiere Recording: Sydney Symphony Orchestra (John Hopkins conductor), Wilfred Lehmann violin, December 1972
Paris Rostrum 3rd Prize 1973
World Premiere: Australian Sinfonia (London) (Geoffrey Simon conductor), Nicolas Chumachenco violin, 29 May1977, St Johns Smith Square, London, UK
Australian Premiere: Sydney Symphony Orchestra (John Hopkins conductor), Donald Hazelwood violin, 28 Oct 1987, Town Hall, Sydney, Australia
Asian Premiere: Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra 1997
1970 October 1972 February living SYDNEY
SIX (1971) for percussion and orchestra UE 29128
Commission: Australian Broadcasting Commission for Les Percussions de Strasbourg
World Premiere: Les Percussions de Strasbourg, 23 October 1971, Town Hall Sydney, Australia
THE DUTCH COURTESAN (1971) music for a theatrical production Directed by Rex Cramphorn
Commission: The Old Tote Theater company
World Premiere:5 July 1971, Sydney, Australia
1972 September 1973 July living Encinitas California USA
PLAYBACK (1972) for solo contrabass & 4-channel tape UE 29081
Commission: Bertram Turetsky
World Premiere: Bertram Turetsky, April 1973, San Diego, California, USA
1973 August 1974 July living Princeton New Jersey USA
WITHOUT GESTURE (1973) for orchestra UE 29080
World Premiere: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (John Hopkins conductor), 12 March 1977, Melbourne, Australia
FROM VOSS (1973) for soprano & percussion UE 29090(10)
World Premiere: April 1973, San Diego, California, USA
EDWARD JOHN EYRE (1971–73) chamber opera (Meredith Oakes libretto) UE 29067
Commission: University of NSW Opera Company
Australian Premiere: UNSW Opera Company (Roger Covell conductor), 1 May 1971, Sir John Clancy Auditorium, Sydney, Australia Directed by Rex Cramphorn
Revised National Institute of Dramatic Art production, 31 July 1973, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sydney, Australia
European Premiere: Haarlem Baroque Ensemble (conductor Roger Covell), 11 August 1973, Haddo House, Aberdeen, UK
SNOWFLAKE (1973) for keyboards UE 29082
Commission: Sydney Opera House Trust
World Premiere: Roger Woodward, 1973, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
THROUGH CLOUDS (1973-4) computer Generated recording
World Premiere: NSW Art Gallery August 1978
1974 August 1975 September living Aix-en-Provence France
1974 October 1975 September living Marseille France
MIRROR IMAGES (1975) for ensemble UE 29127
World Premiere: New Audience Ensemble, 1976, Melbourne
NED (1974–77) opera (Alan Seymour libretto) UE 29133
Commission: University of New South Wales Opera
1975 October living Melbourne, Victoria Australia
SKY (1977) for string orchestra UE 29212
Commission: Musica Viva Australia
World Premiere: Australian Chamber Orchestra, 22 August 1977, Dallas Brooks Hall, Melbourne, Australia
THE APOLOGY OF BONY ANDERSON (1978) opera (Murray Copland libretto) UE 29218
Commission: Victoria State Opera
World Premiere: Victoria State Opera, 1st September 1978, Melbourne, Australia
PERCUSSION CONCERTO (1978) John Hopkins request for David Pye and VCA Orchestra
World Premiere: 11th September 1978, Melbourne, Australia
MIRAGES (1978) for orchestra UE 29223
Commission: Australian Sinfonia (London)
World Premiere: Australian Sinfonia (Geoffrey Simon conductor), September 1978, London, UK
BONY ANDERSON (1979) chamber opera (libretto Murray Copland) UE 29225
Commission: Seymour Group
World Premiere: Seymour Group (Vincent Plush conductor), Lyndon Terracini baritone, 26 June 1979, Cell Block Theatre, Sydney, Australia
US Premiere: Terra Australis (Geoffrey Simon conductor), David O’Keeffe baritone, 11 March 1986, Symphony Space, New York City, NY
RUMOURS (1978) (ballet choreographed to SKY for part one, FIVE WINDOWS for part two,
SNOWFLAKE part three and ICE CARVING for part four)
World Premiere: Sydney Dance Company (Graeme Murphy choreographer), 3 November 1978, Sydney, Australia
SHADOWS OF NOH: Concerto for Double Bass (1979) UE 29244(20)
World Premiere: Victorian College of the Arts Orchestra, Bertram Turetsky, July 1979.
US Premiere: International Orchestra of USIS, Bertram Turetsky, 1 April 1989
BASHO (1980) for soprano & ensemble UE 29239
Commission: Capricorn Ensemble
World Premiere: Capricorn Ensemble, Jane Manning soprano, 13 October 1981, London, UK
JOURNEYS (1980) for solo player (clarinets & saxophones) UE 29242
Commission: Peter Clinch
World Premiere: Peter Clinch, 21 September 1980, Melbourne, Australia
STRING QUARTET (1980) UE 29241
Commission: Maggs Award
World Premiere: Petra String Quartet, 21 September 1980, Melbourne, Australia
VIOLA (1981) for solo viola UE 29222
IMAGINARY LETTERS (1981) for chamber choir UE 29230
Commission: Musica Viva Australia
World Premiere: Leonine Consort, May 1981, Mittagong, Australia
HORIZONS: Concerto for Orchestra (1980) UE 29270
Commission: Australian Youth Orchestra
World Premiere: Australian Youth Orchestra (John Hopkins conductor), Adelaide Festival Theatre, 9 June 1981, Adelaide, Australia
SOUTHERN CROSS: Double Concerto for Violin and Piano (1981) UE 29252
Commission: Australian Broadcasting Commission 50th Anniversary
World Premiere: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Hiroyuki Iwaki conductor), Wanda Wilkomirska violin, Roger Woodward piano, 24 April 1982, Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne, Australia
Paris Rostrum 4th Prize 1985
1982 May-Oct living Minneapolis Minnesota USA
DWELLINGS (1982) for ensemble UE 29255
Commission: MacPhail Centre for the Arts
World Premiere: sfz Ensemble, 15 May 1982, Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Australian Premiere: Australia Ensemble, September 1987
UK Premiere: Britten Sinfonia, 11 July 1997, Cambridge, UK
1982 October-December living London UK
VOICINGS (1983) for ensemble and tape UE 29265
Commission: Flederman Ensemble
World Premiere: Flederman Ensemble, Sydney Opera House, 10 December 1983, Sydney, Australia
UK Premiere: Lontano Ensemble, Queen Elizabeth Hall, 19 April 1989, London, UK
CELLO CONCERTO (1984) for cello & string orchestra UE 29262
Commission: Musica Viva Australia
World Premiere: Australian Chamber Orchestra (Carl Pini director), Florian Kitt cello, 24 October 1985, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sydney, Australia
European Premiere: (same ensemble), February 1986, Villach, Austria
FLY (1982–84) opera (Murray Copland libretto) UE 29338(30)
Commission: Victoria State Opera
World Premiere: Victoria State Opera and Orchestra (John Hopkins conductor), Murray Copland director, Shaun Gurton design, Anthony Roden & John Wood baritones, Margaret Haggart, Val Mills & Christine Ferraro sopranos, 24 August 1984, State Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
PREVIEW (1984) for solo cello UE 29292
Commission: Florian Kitt
World Premiere: Florian Kitt, 1984, Vienna, Austria
ANTIPODES (1984–85) for orchestra, chorus & soloists UE 29300
Commission: Victoria 150th Anniversary Committee
World Premiere: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Hiroyuki Iwaki conductor), Merlyn Quaife soprano, Ron Stevens tenor, James Christiansen baritone, Trevor Phillips didgeridoo, 9 May 1985, Melbourne Concert Hall, Melbourne, Australia
GENERATIONS (1985) for orchestra UE 29300
Commission: Victoria 150th Anniversary Committee
World Premiere: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Hiroyuki Iwaki conductor), Osaka, Japan
THE OATH OF BAD BROWN BILL (1985) children’s opera (Murray Copland libretto )
Commission: Playbox Theatre
World Premiere: Playbox, Murray Copland director, Simon O’Loughlin, Jan Friedl, Peter Cox, David O’Keeffe, James Harkness & Linton Roe singers, Helen English music director, John Beckett and Gerry Nixon design, 6 January 1986, Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne, Australia
HAMLET & MEASURE FOR MEASURE (1985) music for theatrical double bill
Commission: Playbox Theatre
Premiere: Playbox, Rex Cramphorn director, 1 May1985, Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne, Australia
RECURRENCES (1986) for large orchestra UE 29323
Commission: University of Melbourne
World Premiere: University of Melbourne Faculty Orchestra (Michael Brimer conductor), 5 June 1986, Melba Hall, Melbourne, Australia
VAST (1987) ballet score for orchestra:
VAST I 'The Sea' (1987) UE 29326
VAST II 'The Coast' (1987) UE 29329
VAST III 'The Centre' (1987) UE 29332
VAST IV 'The Cities' (1987) UE 29335
Commission: Australian Bicentennial Authority
World Premiere: Ballet performance by an ensemble of all four major Australian dance companies (Sydney Dance Company, Australian Dance Theatre, the Queensland Ballet and the West Australian Ballet Company), 4 March 1988, Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Australia.
GLIMPSES (1987) for chamber orchestra UE 29348(40)
Commission: Australian Bicentennial Authority
World Premiere: Australian Chamber Orchestra (Max McBride conductor), October 1987, SUNY, Stony Brook, NY, USA
BENNELONG (1988) puppet opera (Murray Copland libretto) UE 29345
Commission: Australian Bicentennial Authority
World Premiere: Australian Chamber Orchestra (Max McBride conductor), puppets & design Mirka Mora, direction John Beckett, Tom Edmonds tenor, Beverley Bergen soprano, 21April 1988, Groningen, Holland
Australian Premiere: same ensemble, 4 October 1988, Newcastle, Australia
MATILDA (1988) for chorus and orchestra UE 29340
Commission: Australian Bicentennial Authority (Victoria)
World Premiere: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Third Military District Band & Combined Choruses of Victoria, September 1985, Exhibition Building, Melbourne, Australia
STREAMS (1988) for flute, harp & viola UE 29350
Commission: Music Today Tokyo (Japan)
World Premiere: Music Today, 27 October 1988, Tokyo
MONUMENTS Concerto for Piano & DX7 (1989) UE 29400
Commission: Albany Symphony Orchestra (USA)
World Premiere: Albany Symphony (Geoffrey Simon conductor), Tamas Ungar keyboards, 18 May 1989, Troy, NY, USA
Australian Premiere: Sydney Symphony Orchestra (Richard Mills conductor), Michael Kieran Harvey keyboards, 22 March 2007, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sydney, Australia
1990 January living Austinmer Wollongong, NSW Australia
WATERWAYS: Concerto for Viola (1990) UE 29401
Commission: Dutch Radio
World Premiere: Dutch Radio Symphony Orchestra (Matthias Bamert conductor), Ron Ephrat viola, 18 May 1990, Utrecht, Holland
Australian Premiere: Sydney Symphony Orchestra (Matthias Bamert conductor), Patricia Pollett viola, 1 November 1991, Seymour Centre, Sydney, Australia
CLOUDLINES I: Concerto for Harp (1991) (large orchestra) UE 29500
Commission: Australian Youth Orchestra
World Premiere: AYO (John Hopkins conductor), Alice Giles harp, 22 January 1991, Sydney, Australia
CLOUDLINES 2: Concerto for Harp (1991) (chamber orchestra) UE 29500
Commission: Australian Youth Orchestra
World Premiere: AYO (John Hopkins conductor), Alice Giles harp, May 1991, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
AWAKENINGS (1991) for solo harp UE 29501
Commission: Australian Music Centre
World Premiere: Marshall Maguire, 2 November 1991, Sydney, Australia
SHININGS (1992) for ensemble UE 29550
Commission: Seymour Group
World Premiere: Seymour Group, August 1992, Seymour Centre, Sydney, Australia
DECADES (1992) for orchestra UE 29552
Commission: Symphony Australia
World Premiere: Sydney Symphony Orchestra (Vernon Handley conductor), 9 September 1992, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sydney, Australia
AFTERIMAGES (1993) for Koto and Percussion UE 29560
Commission: Satsuki Odamura
World Premiere: Satsuki Odamura koto, Ian Cleworth percussion, 10 December 1993, Sydney, Australia
1994 February living Lismore, NSW Australia
BUNDANON (1994) for piano and orchestra
Dedicated to Arthur Boyd
World Premiere: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Hiruyuki Iwaki conductor), Kaori Kimura piano, 5 November 1994, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
AFTERIMAGES 2 (1994) for Koto and Orchestra
Commission: Satsuki Odamura
World Premiere: Hunter Orchestra (Roland Peelman conductor), Satsuki Odamura koto, 5 May 1995, Newcastle, Australia
DAWNING (1996) for orchestra Boosey&Hawkes
Commission: Sacramento Symphony (USA)
World Premiere: Symphony (Geoffrey Simon conductor), 28 April 1996, Sacramento, CA, USA
PASSING (1998) for Orchestra Boosey&Hawkes
Commission: Sydney Symphony Orchestra
World Premiere: SSO (Hiroyuki Iwaki conductor), 20 August 1999, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sydney, Australia
YEARNINGS (1999) for ensemble
Commission: Australia Ensemble
World Premiere: Australia Ensemble, 7 August 1999, Sir John Clancy Auditorium, Sydney, Australia
STRING QUARTET 2(1999)
Commission: Musica Viva Australia
World Premiere: Ensemble 24, 17 July 2000, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sydney, Australia
SEASONS (2000) for marimba & orchestra
Commission: Australian Youth Orchestra
World Premiere: Camerata Australia, Clare Edwardes marimba, 13 January 2001, Harvard, Cambridge MA, USA
2000 August living Cambridge Ma., USA
FLUTE (2001) for flute
World Premiere: Susan Hampton, 9 May 2001, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, USA
ANTI-PODS (2001) for two pianos
World Premiere: Steven Weigt & Richard Whalley, 9 May 2001, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, USA
ORGAN (2001) organ
World Premiere: April 2001, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, USA
2001 July living McLeans Ridges, NSW Australia
FIX (2001-2004) for baritone & orchestra (text by Janis Balodis)
Commission: Sydney Symphony Orchestra
World Premiere: Sydney Symphony Orchestra (James Judd conductor), Teddy Tahu Rhodes baritone, 4 August 2004, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sydney, Australia
PLAYGROUND (2002) for violin, clarinet and piano
Commission: Verdehr Trio
World Premiere: Verdehr Trio, 19 September 2004, Maine, USA
VEILS 1 (2003) for solo piano
Commission: Associate Board of the Royal School of Music
VEILS 2 (2003) for solo piano
Commission: Ananda Sukarlan
World Premiere: Ananda Sukarlan, 24 September 2003, Oslo, Norway
DREAMS GO WANDERING STILL (2003) for orchestra
Commission: Adelaide Festival
World Premiere: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (Richard Mills conductor), March 2004, Adelaide, Australia
CATHEDRAL 1 (2005) for cello and piano
Commission: Duo de Saram-Sukarlan
World Premiere: Rohan de Saram and Ananda Sukarlan, 1 March 2006, Queens Hall, Edinburgh, UK
NOW THAT DARKNESS (2005) for orchestra
Commission: Potter Foundation
World Premiere: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Martyn Brabbins conductor), 23 May 2005. Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
CATHEDRAL 2 (2006) for clarinet and piano
World Premiere: Paul Todd clarinets, Mark Kruger piano, 20 July 2006, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
TO THE EDGE (2006) for chamber orchestra
Commission: Pro Arte Australia
World Premiere: Pro Arte Australia (Jeffrey Crellin conductor), 16 July 2006, Edge Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
ELECTRIC LENIN (2005–2006) chamber opera (Janis Balodis libretto) Hal Leonard/CoEdition
Commission: Lyndon Terracini
World Premiere: Northern Rivers Performing Arts, Patrick Nolan director, Catherine Sproule design, Craig Walsh video design, Jason Barry-Smith baritone, Gaye Macfarlane mezzo-soprano, 22 November 2006, City Hall, Lismore, Australia
DRY SPELL chamber ensemble (2008) Hal Leonard/CoEdition
Commission: Private
World Premiere: September 2009 Melbourne Australia
CAL TUENT (2006-2008) for soloists & orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition
Commission: Groupo Serra (Mallorca Spain)
World Premiere: October 10,2008, Palma, Mallorca Spain.
Australian Premiere: November 7, 2008, Brisbane Australia.
Asian Premiere: November 23, 2008, Hong Kong .
KANGAROO ISLAND (2009) concerto for Double Bass & orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition
World Premieres: April 4 and 7 2009, Cambridge Mass and State College Pennsylvania, USA
DARWIN-COMPARING THE EYE (2009) mezzo soprano and ensemble Leonard/CoEdition
World Premier Season: October 2009, Cambridge Mass, Stanford, Cal USA
Australian Premiere: Jane Sheldon (Sop) Ensemble Offspring19 November 2009, Australia.
SHOWBOAT KALANG (2010) for ensemble actor/dancer Hal Leonard/CoEdition
Commission: University of New South Wales
World Premieres: 2011 Sydney Australia
2011 February living Melbourne, Victoria Australia
GARDENER OF TIME (2011) for orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition
Commission: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
World Premiere: November 2011 Melbourne Australia.
Asian Premiere: February 2016 Tokyo Japan
FALLING WATER (2011) for two Bassoons and Orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition
Commission: Sydney Conservatorium of Music 100-year celebration
World Premiere: 1st April 2011 Sydney Australia
USA Premiere: Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra 10 July 2012. Dayton Ohio USA
SILHOUETTES (2011) Flute and Guitar CoEdition
World Premiere: 2012 Melbourne
SYMPHONY (2012) for orchestra Hal Leonard/CoEdition
Commission: Sydney Symphony Orchestra
World Premiere: November 2012 Sydney Opera House, Sydney
ANZAC (2014) nine soloists and orchestra CoEdition
World Premiere: 28th August 2014 Iwaki Auditorium Melbourne Australia
TIME and TIDE (2015) piano trio and Choir CoEdition
Commission: Astra Choir
World Premiere: 31st August 2015, Melbourne, Australia
GATHERING (2015) 8-24 cellos CoEdition
Commission: Cello Festival Melbourne Australia
World Premiere: October 2015 Melba Hall, Melbourne Australia
DIASPORAS (2016) for orchestra CoEdition
Commission: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
World Premiere: MRC May 21, 2016, Robert Spano (cond.) Melbourne Australia
PETRACHOR (2017) for Chamber Orchestra CoEdition
World Premiere: Hanson Hall August 27, 2019 Richard Davis (cond.) Melbourne Australia
BUSHFIRE DREAMING (2018) for String Orchestra CoEdition
World Premiere: Hanson Hall June 2nd, 2019 Richard Davis (cond.) Melbourne Australia
ONE SMALL STEP (2019) for orchestra CoEdition
Commission: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
World Premiere: MRC May 5, 2019, Clarke Rundell (cond.) Melbourne Australia
MALLORCA SERENADE (2019) for Solo Guitar & Chamber Orchestra CoEdition
World Premiere: Hanson Hall August 27, 2019 Richard Davis (cond.) Melbourne Australia
ISAO (2019) for Violin and Orchestra
Commission: Saint Petersburg Symphony Orchestra
World Premiere: Great Hall, 2nd October 2019, Conductor and soloist Sergei Stadler, Saint Petersburg Russia
© Barry Conyngham 2023