A young Greek-Australian was the recipient of the Young Composer of the Year Award for 2023.
He is Klearhos Murphy a young composer who has worked with various national and international ensembles and has arranged symphonic and chamber music, drawing his music from Western art and the Byzantine and Greek folk traditions as he says in an interview with SBS Greek.
"As a Greek-Australian composer this recognition means everything to me. An affirmation of the wonderful people in my life who have given so much to me and my career. It is also a recognition of the rich cultural heritage that I very humbly represent as a Greek," he said.
The Young Composer Award is an annual national award that provides young Australian composers with the rare opportunity to compose for full orchestra and then have their work performed and recorded live by the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra.
"It's actually the opportunity of a lifetime and the Willoughby Orchestra is consistently a beacon for young Australian composers. I will be forever grateful and uncontrollably excited to work with them. So it's an amazing opportunity. I highly recommend anyone who is eligible to apply because there is nothing like it in the country," he said.
His new work, Prayer for Makronissos, will be performed by Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and Choir on May 20 – 21 at the Concourse Theatre, Chatswood, North Sydney.
