Nigel Westlake - Career Highlights

Career Highlights

• 1978: first professional orchestral recording was Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, playing bass clarinet with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under conductor Willem van Otterloo
• 1979: Toured to China with the Australian Youth Orchestra. Received Australia Council Grant to form Magic Puddin' Band (a 7 piece instrumental fusion band) to perform original compositions.
• 1980: Toured to Canada with Flying Fruit Fly Circus band
• 1982: Studied Film Music at Australian Film and Television School with Bill Motzing
• 1983: Studied Bass Clarinet In Netherlands with Harry Sparnaay and composition with Theo Leovendie
• 1983: First film score commission for a documentary for Film Australia
• 1984: Composed "Omphalo Centric Lecture" -initially for bass clarinet and 2 percussionist, but later developed for 4 percussion. It is one of the most frequently performed works in the percussion repertoire. It was premiered by the Sydney-based percussion group Synergy. It was recorded through the use of multitrack recording by Michael Askill in 1995 on the album "Onomatopoeia".
• 1985: Won Jazz Action Society Composition Competition
• 1986: Joined "Australia Ensemble", a mixed chamber septet, resident at the University of New South Wales. With this group he toured as a soloist to China, Europe, UK, USA, Russia, India, New Zealand, Japan and throughout Australia.
• 1987: Composer in Residence for ABC Radio. Composed "Fabian Theory" for percussion and digital delay, and "Moving Air" for percussion quartet.
• 1988: Won Gold Medal at New York International Radio Festival
• 1990: Wrote "Malachite Glass" for Percussion Quartet & bass Clarinet, and co-wrote score for 4 part documentary "Roads to Xanadu"
• 1991: Commissioned to write Antarctica, Imax feature film score
• 1992: APRA music award for best Contemporary Classical Composition. Re-worked Antarctica film score into an Orchestral Suite for Guitar & Orchestra - commissioned for John Williams and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in celebration of the ABC's 60th anniversary.
• 1992: Invited to join guitarist John Williams group "Attacca" for tours of UK & Australia
• 1993: Commissioned to write the film score of Imagine, one of the very first 3D Imax movies to be made. Received an Australia Council Grant to study composition with Richard Meale and conducting with Richard Mills.
• 1994: Wrote "Songs from the Forest" for 2 guitars
• 1995: Commissioned to write the score for "Celluloid Heroes" - a 4 part documentary in celebration of 100 years of Australian Cinema
• 1995: Commissioned to write the feature film score for Babe, which won the Golden Globe award for "Best film - Musical/Comedy" in 1996
• 1996: APRA music award for Babe film score. Wrote "The Invisible Men" for percussion quartet & silent movie, & " Invocations" for Bass Clarinet & Orchestra
• 1997: commissioned to write film score Babe: Pig in the City.
• 1998: commissioned to write film score for A Little Bit of Soul
• 2000: Commissioned to write Imax feature filmscore "Solarmax" ; Also commissioned to write Piano Concerto for Michael Kieran Harvey & the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, & "Oscillations" for 2 pianos
• 2001: Commissioned to write feature film score "The Nuggett", & telemovie Stepfather of the Bride
• 2002: Commissioned to write Piano Trio for Macquarie Trio
• 2003: Commissioned to write "Six Fish" for guitar quartet
• 2004: Appointed "H. C. Coombs Creative Fellow" at Australian National University. Commissioned by Sydney Symphony Orchestra to compose a Percussion Concerto.
• 2006: Relocated to UK to write film score for feature film Miss Potter. Percussion concerto premiered by Rebecca Lagos with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
• 2007: Commissioned to write "Rare Sugar" clarinet concertino
• 2008: Formed "Smugglers of Light Foundation"
• 2008: Sailed the East Coast of Australia
• 2011: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra premiered "Missa Solis- Requiem for Eli" at Myer Music Bowl
• 2012: Received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of NSW