| Award Recipient - 2004 | |
SIMON HEWETT
Winner of the Brian Stacey Memorial Award 2004 (for emerging Australian
Conductors) as part of the Helpmann Awards.
Simon Hewett studied clarinet and conducting at the University of Queensland,
graduating with First Class Honours and a University Medal. In 1998 he was awarded
a German Government Scholarship and commenced studies in operatic and symphonic
conducting at the Franz Liszt Hochschule für Musik in Weimar, Germany,
graduating with distinction in 2001. In 1995 he was a finalist in the ABC Young
Conductor of the Year Award, and conducted the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
While in Germany he participated in Masterclasses with Jorma Panula, Claus-Peter
Flor and Andrey Boreyko, and conducted the Jena Philharmonie and the Pecs Symphony
Orchestra.
Since 1996 he has worked frequently with the Elision Contemporary Music Ensemble,
touring with them to Korea in 1997, and Europe in 1998. He has performed with
them at most of Australia’s major festivals, premiering Richard Barrett’s
Opening of the Mouth (1997), and Liza Lim’s opera Moon Spirit Feasting
(2000). A CD recording of Opening of the Mouth was released by ABC Classics
in 1999, and was nominated ‘Pick of the Month’ by the BBC Music
Magazine in April 2000. In 2001, he conducted Moon Spirit Feasting, at the Hebbel
Theatre (Berlin), the Zurich International Arts Festival, and Saitama Theatre
(Tokyo). He has worked with the Queensland Ballet, conducting Tchaikovsky’s
The Sleeping Beauty in 2002, and in 2003 appeared in concert with The Queensland
Orchestra. He has also worked frequently with the Queensland Youth Symphony,
and with the Sydney Youth Orchestra.
Throughout 2003 Simon was a member of Opera Australia’s Young Artists’
Programme, and assisted Simone Young and Johannes Fritsch on productions of
Lulu, Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg, Rigoletto, Otello, Salome, Tosca and
Der Fliegende Hollander. He also conducted performances of Bizet’s The
Pearlfishers.
Simon is the inaugural recipient of the Hepzibah Tintner Fellowship for 2004,
which gives him the opportunity to perform with Opera Australia, the Australian
Ballet and the Sydney Symphony. To date he has conducted performances for the
Australian Ballet of Mr B: A Tribute, featuring music of Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky
and Bizet, Swan Lake, and La Fille Mal Gardee. He is scheduled to conduct their
Red Hot and New programme in December, and Swan Lake again next February. For
Opera Australia he will assist on productions of Il Trovatore and Der Rosenkavalier,
and is engaged to conduct The Barber of Seville. In March next year he will
conduct performances of Tosca. He has also been invited to conduct the Seymour
Group in July this year.