Edwards, Ross

Edwards, Ross, Australian composer; b. Sydney, Dec. 23, 1943. He studied at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music in Sydney (1959–62), the Univ. of Sydney (1963), and the Univ. of Adelaide (B.Mus., 1968; M.Mus., 1971), his principal mentors being Meale and Sculthorpe. A Commonwealth postgraduate scholarship enabled him to pursue studies in London with Maxwell Davies. He also studied with Veress. After serving as senior tutor (1973–76) and lecturer (1976–80) in composition at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music, he was composer-in-residence at the Univ. of Wollongong (1983). In 1989 he was made the Australia Council’s Don Banks fellow. In 1990 he received the D.Mus. degree from the Univ. of Sydney. He held 2 Australian Creative Artists fellowships. Edwards has developed a highly imaginative style of composition. In his works, designated as his “sacred series an austere meditative aura prevails. In other scores he has been much influenced by the sounds of the natural world, including those of insects and birds.

Works

DRAMATIC Christina’s World, chamber opera (1983; rev. 1989); Sensing, television dance score (1993). ORCH.: Mountain Village in a Clearing Mist (1973); Piano Concerto (1982); Violin Concerto, Maninyas (Sydney, Aug. 9, 1988); Yarrageh: Nocturne for Solo Percussion and Orch. (Sydney, July 19, 1989); Aria and Transcendental Dance for Horn and Strings (1990); 2 syms.: No. 1, Da Pacem Domine (1991; Perth, Aug. 7, 1992) and No. 2 (1997–98); Concerto for Guitar and Strings (Darwin, July 8, 1995). CHAMBER : Monos I for Cello (1970) and II for Piano (1970); Shadow D- Zone for Flute, Clarinet, Piano, Percussion, Violin, and Cello (1977); The Tower of Remoteness for Clarinet and Piano (Sydney, Dec. 15, 1978); Laikan for Flute, Clarinet, Piano, Percussion, Violin, and Cello (1979); 10 Little Duets for Recorder Duet (1982); Marimba Dances for Marimba (1982); Maninya II for String Quartet (1982), III for Wind Quintet (1985), and IV for Clarinet, Trombone, and Marimba (1985); Reflections for Piano and 3 Percussion (1985); Ecstatic Dances for 2 Flutes (1990); Booroora for Clarinet, Percussion, and Double Bass (1990); Prélude and Dragonfly Dance for Percussion Quartet (1991); Black Mountain Duos for 2 Cellos (1992); Veni Creator Spiritus for String Octet (Perth, Nov. 2, 1993); Ulpirra for Recorder (1993); Laughing Rock for Cello (1993–94); Enyato I for String Quartet (1994) and II for Viola (1994). VOCAL: 5 Carols from Quern Quaeritis for Women’s Chorus (1967); Antifon for Chorus, Brass Sextet, Organ, and 2 Tam-tams (1973); The Hermit of Green Light, song cycle for Countertenor and Piano (1979); Ab Estasias Foribus for Chorus (1980–87); Maninya I for Countertenor and Cello (1981–86) and V for Countertenor and Piano (1986); Flower Songs for Chorus and 2 Percussion (1987); Dance Mantra for 6 voices and Drum (1992).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire