Composer Christopher Gordon’s contribution to Australian screen music will be recognized at the Screen Music Awards later this month and receive a renowned service to the Australian Screen Awards.
London-born Gordon, best known for his film scores such as Mao’s last dancer and Master and Commander, began in the 1960s with the Australian Boys’ Choir in Melbourne. He discovered his passion for classical music and composition inspired by the legendary Benjamin Britten.
His first foray into screen music was for television, with Moby Dick’s groundbreaking score in 1998 that won him his first APRA award. His prolific television production continued, and was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2005 for the Salem lot.
His transition to feature films has been working on film scores such as the Academy Award-winning Master, Commander, Mao Zedong’s Last Dancer, Ladies in Black.
Beyond the screen, Gordon also worked on major committees of classic ensembles, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, creating ballet cores for Australian Ballet and Royal New Zealand Ballet.
His music has also been featured at groundbreaking national events, including the 2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, the 2003 Rugby World Cup, the 2001 official celebration of the Australian Federation 1000, and the Millennium Eve’s global television broadcast.
Upon receiving praise, Gordon said: “This is an incredible honor. I would like to thank the APRA committee for this recognition. This is an appreciation to the composers who work tirelessly in that cave, as well as the many community of musicians who make extremely important contributions to screen storytelling.”
Previous recipients of a distinguished service to the Australian Screen Awards include Bruce Beresford, Nerida Tyson Chew, Nigel Westlake, Rachel Perkins and Robert Connolly.
The annual Screen Music Awards, published by Apra Amcos and The Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC), celebrate excellence and innovation in screen composition across 16 categories, recognizing outstanding contributions in short films, television series, documentaries, children’s programming, feature films and more.
The remaining 15 award categories will be announced in the evening. This includes the most performed screen composers overseas, including Australia and the most performed screen composers.
The Screen Music Awards will be held on October 28th at the Four Fortune Music Hall in Brisbane. In the evening, David Wenham will host it with guest presenters Mark Coles Smith and Natalie Morris, along with music director Elkki Vertim.
