David Chisholm
David Chisholm is an Australian composer whose work spans orchestral, electro-acoustic, theatre, film and installation scores, alongside song cycles and dance commissions.
He also received National Young Achiever of the Year in 1994 for his work as a producer and composer, after graduating from the University of Wollongong in 1992 with a Distinction in Musical Composition. He has studied under Andrew Schultz, Andrew Ford, Barry Conyngham and Brenton Broadstock. He is an Associate Composer of the Australian Music Centre and a member of the Music Council of Australia.
David was Chair of Melbourne Fringe from December 2003 to March 2005, after serving as a board member from mid-2001. He sits on the Cultural Affairs Advisory Board for the City of Melbourne, chairs the Cultural Venues Programming Reference Group, and is a member of the Marketing Advisory Board. He also serves on the Arts Development and Annual Presentation Funding Panels for Arts Victoria and is a graduate of the Cranlana Programme Colloquia.
Since 2003 he has taught Cultural Studies at the Centre for Ideas, Victorian College of the Arts.
Orchestral works since 2001 include pierre boulez a la discothèque, The Illusion of the End (after Jean Baudrillard) and the muster-book of the dynamical systems collective. The latter two have been performed by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and broadcast nationally on ABC Classic FM. His olivier messiaen is dead and buried: a secular requiem, a major work for organ with soprano commissioned by the City of Melbourne in 2002, was also broadcast on ABC Classic FM.
Theatre scores include shrunk: music from The Shrinking Ledge (2002 Helpmann nomination for Best Original Score), Cazerine Barry’s sprung for Vitalstatistiks (Melbourne Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre, Sydney Opera House and Perth Institute of Contemporary Art) and The Call (Melbourne Festival/Playbox). In 2004 he collaborated with Koorie sound artist and historian Genevieve Grieves on the installation DIG: A Sonic Excavation, presented in the Cato Street Car Park, Prahran, for the Journey Festival.
In 2005 he composed his third short film score, Real Gold for director Blake Osborn; a digitally integrated theatre score, Insurgency, directed by Cazerine Barry; the micro-opera One Final Oration, directed by Susie Dee and conducted by Timothy Phillips for MUHT to text by Angus Cerini; and one fifth of his epic song cycle the beginning and the end of the snow. That section of the cycle was developed in Paris with Arts Victoria, Australia Council and EGIDE support and presented in the On the Edge of Sunset series for the Melbourne International Arts Festival 2005, of which he was new music curator. He also composed the installation soundtrack for No Cure with Berlin artist Boris Eldagsen.
As Composer in Residence for BalletLab in 2006–07 he created an 80-minute electro-acoustic score for Origami (MD 3307) for its premiere season and tour, the development project Brindabella with musicians Richard Haynes and Genevieve Lacey, and a work for harp and electronics for Marshall McGuire to Phillip Adams’ Platinum for The Australian Ballet’s 2006 Bodytorque series.
Artist's website: davidchisholm.com
Press quotes
David Chisholm’s accompanying score ranges from luscious to dissonant, played mostly by a string quartet with a strong Japanese flavour.
Composer David Chisholm’s score is beautiful, grinding, intense and sometimes even more violent than the accompanying choreography.
the original music of composer David Chisholm played by a stringed quartet over synthesised sounds is quite riveting. The score’s often dissonant tone commands attention and enhances the pieces being performed.
David Chisholm is featured on the following titles
Origami
Music from BalletLab’s dance work Origami, premiered in Melbourne on 13 July 2006. David Chisholm’s score, partly electronic and partly for Silo Quartet, was nominated for the 2006 Green Room Awards.
Composer