William Barton (musician)

William Barton is an Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo player. He was born in Mount Isa, Queensland on birth_date|1981|6|4 [ [ [http://www.qldchoir.com/docs/media/WilliamBartonMediaRelease31052006.pdf Queensland Choir Media Release] Accessed September 5, 2007] and learned to play from his uncle, an elder of the Wannyi, Lardil and Kalkadunga tribes of Western Queensland. He is widely recognised as one of Australia's finest traditional didgeridoo players and a leading didgeridoo player in the classical world. [" [http://www.camdenhavenmusicfestival.org.au/2007_pages/artists/william_barton.html Artist Profile] " Camden Music Festival 2007 website. Accessed May 16, 2007] [" [http://www.abc.net.au/creaturefeatures/celeb/williambarton.htm Creature Features — Celebrity Pets] " ABC online. Accessed May 16, 2007]

"I'm doing what I love," Barton says. "I want to take the oldest culture in the world and blend it with Europe's rich musical legacy." [" [http://www.theage.com.au/news/Music/Barton-breathes-deep/2005/05/08/1115491042483.html Barton breathes deep for Earth] " The Age, May 9, 2005. Accessed May 16, 2007]

Biographical details

Taught to play the digeridoo from an early age by aboriginal elders, by the age of 12 William Barton was working in Sydney, playing for Aboriginal dance troupes. At the age of 15 he toured America, after which he decided he wanted to become a soloist rather than a backing musician and started to study different kinds of music. In 1998, he made his classical debut with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and became Australia’s first didgeridoo artist in residence with a symphony orchestra. [ [http://www.ozco.gov.au/arts_in_australia/artists/artists_music/william_barton/ Profile] Arts in Australia website. Accessed May 16, 2007]

William has since appeared at music festivals around the world and has also recorded a number of orchestral works. He featured in Peter Sculthorpe’s "Requiem", a major work for orchestra, chorus and didgeridoo, which premiered the Adelaide Festival of Arts in 2004 with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Adelaide Voices conducted by Richard Mills. This was reputedly the first time a didgeridoo has featured in a full symphonic work. [" [http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2004/s1060034.htm Didgeridoo symphony premieres] " "The World Today" on ABC Radio — March 5, 2004. Accessed May 16, 2007] The work has since been performed in the UK at The Lichfield Festival with The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham's acclaimed choir Ex Cathedra, conducted by Jeffrey Skidmore.

In May 2004 ABC Classics released "Songs Of Sea and Sky" an Album of works by Peter Sculthorpe revised for didgeridoo and orchestra. Performed by William Barton and the Queensland Orchestra conducted by Michael Christie, this album was nominated for "Best Classical Album" at the ARIA Music Awards of 2004.

In 2005 Barton performed at the 90th Anniversary Gallipoli at ANZAC Cove, Turkey, and in debut concerts with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall in London. [" [http://www.theage.com.au/news/Music/Barton-breathes-deep/2005/05/08/1115491042483.html Barton breathes deep for Earth] " The Age, May 9, 2005. Accessed May 16, 2007]

In 2005/2006 Barton collaborated with orchestras, choral directors and composers in Australia, America and Europe, developing new commissions for the didgeridoo. [" [http://www.camdenhavenmusicfestival.org.au/2007_pages/artists/william_barton.html Artist Profile] " Camden Music Festival 2007 website. Accessed May 16, 2007]

William Barton has been featured on the ABC television program, Australian Story. [" [http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2007/s1919361.htm William the Conqueror] " Australian Story, ABC Television, 10 May, 2007.]

Awards

In 2003 William Barton served as the first Artist-in-Residence with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, [" [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/05/1065292466402.html?from=storyrhs Ancient instrument's new tunes] " Sydney Morning Herald, October 6, 2003. Accessed May 16, 2007] the first appointment of an indigenous musician to an Australian symphony orchestra.

He was jointly selected with pianist Tamara Anna Cislowska for the prestigious 2004 Freedman Fellowship for Classical Music by the Music Council of Australia. [" [http://www.mca.org.au/index.php?id=78 Freedman Fellowships] " Music Council of Australia website. Accessed May 16, 2007]

In 2004 he was awarded the Brisbane "Lord Mayor's Young and Emerging Artists' Fellowship", [" [http://www.williambarton.com.au/6243.html Young master of Didgeridoo wins prestigious award] " William Barton website. Accessed May 16, 2007] and the following year he was a Metropolitan Finalist for the "Suncorp Young Queenslander of the Year Award". [" [http://www.williambarton.com.au/7626.html Young Queenslander of the Year Award — Finalist 2005] " William Barton website. Accessed May 16, 2007]

Nominated in the ARIA Music Awards of 2004 for Best Classical Album with ABC Classics recording "Songs of Sea and Sky" by composer Peter Sculthorpe with conductor Michael Christie and The Queensland Orchestra.

Discography

*"Songs of Sky and Sea" by Peter Sculthorpe with conductor Michael Christie and The Queensland Orchestra ABC Classics (2004)
*"Earth Cry / Piano Concerto / Kakadu" by Peter Sculthorpe, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Naxos. [ [http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.557382 Album details] Naxos website.]
*"Journey" compositions for solo didgeridoo, self released
*"Requiem" by Peter Sculthorpe, a major work for orchestra, chorus and didgeridoo, with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. ABC Classics (2006)

References

* [http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/stories/s1214962.htm William Barton] ABC Queensland 7 October 2004. Accessed May 16, 2007
* [http://www.ozco.gov.au/arts_in_australia/artists/artists_music/william_barton/ Profile] Arts in Australia website. Accessed May 16, 2007

External links

* [http://www.williambarton.com.au Official site]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPiXvgCh5wE 2004 live performance at Queensland Conservatorium]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2jpADNqVWw 2006 live performance at Brisbane music festival]