Gillian Bibby

{{Short description|New Zealand composer, pianist, writer and teacher (1945–2023)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2020}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Gillian Bibby

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MNZM|size=100%}}

| image = Gillian Bibby MNZM (cropped).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Bibby in 2020

| birth_name = Gillian Margaret Bibby

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|08|31|df=y}}

| birth_place = Lower Hutt, New Zealand

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|08|07|1945|08|31|df=y}}

| death_place = Wellington, New Zealand

| education =

| alma_mater =

| occupation = {{Hlist|Composer|pianist|music teacher}}

| years_active =

| known_for =

| notable_works =

| spouse =

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}}

Gillian Margaret Bibby {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MNZM|size=85%}} (31 August 1945 – 7 August 2023) was a New Zealand composer, pianist, writer and teacher.

Bibby was born in Lower Hutt, New Zealand on 31 August 1945, the daughter of the Reverend Lawrence Vincent Bibby and Margaret Valerie Bibby (née Davidson).{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19450901.2.2 |title=Births |date=1 September 1945 |work=Evening Post |volume=140 |issue=54 |page=1 |access-date=10 August 2023}}{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19360610.2.155.5 |title=Wedding: Bibby–Davidson |date=10 June 1936 |work=Evening Star |issue=22361 |page=15 |access-date=10 August 2023}} She studied at the University of Otago and Victoria University of Wellington{{cite book |title=A Guide to Piano Music by Women Composers: Women born after 1900|author=Dees, Pamela Youngdahl|date=2004}} with Douglas Lilburn. She continued her studies in Berlin and Cologne with Aloys Kontarsky, Mauricio Kagel and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

In 1976, Bibby returned to New Zealand to take up a two year Mozart Fellowship at the University of Otago in Dunedin.{{cite web |title=The Mozart Fellowship – previous recipients |url=https://www.otago.ac.nz/humanities/about/otago-fellows/mozart-fellowship/the-mozart-fellowship-previous-recipients |website=University of Otago |date=2 May 2023 |access-date=20 January 2024}}

Bibby relocated to Wellington in 1978 and worked as a pianist, composer, music teacher and university lecturer.{{cite book |title=International who's who in classical music|publisher=Europa Publications Limited|date=2007}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IvoQQU1QL_QC&dq=Gillian+Bibby+(born+1945)&pg=PA61|title=The Norton/Grove dictionary of women composers|first1=Julie Anne|last1=Sadie|first2=Rhian|last2=Samuel|year=1994|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |isbn=9780393034875|accessdate=28 January 2011}}

Bibby was active in several music-related organisations, serving as president and chair, and founded the CHAMPS Trust to offer opportunities for youth in music. She was awarded the Philip Neill prize in composition, the Kranichsteiner prize in composition and the Darmstadt prize for new music.{{cite web |title=Gillian Bibby - composer |url=https://sounz.org.nz/contributors/1008 |website=SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music |publisher=SOUNZ |access-date=27 January 2011}}

In the 2020 New Year Honours, Bibby was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to music and music education.{{cite web | url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-2020 | title=New Year honours list 2020 |date=31 December 2019 | publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | accessdate=31 December 2019}}

Bibby died in Wellington on 7 August 2023, at the age of 77.{{Cite news |title=Gillian Bibby obituary |date=9 August 2023 |work=The Post |url=https://deaths.dompost.co.nz/nz/obituaries/dominion-post-nz/name/gillian-bibby-obituary?id=52649199 |access-date=9 August 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.tributes.co.nz/ViewMyTribute.aspx?id=19649 |title=In memory of Gillian Bibby MNZM |website=Tributes Online |access-date=9 August 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Bess |first1=Manson |title=Pianist Gillian Bibby came to life teaching |url=https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/culture/350060449/pianist-gillian-bibby-came-life-teaching |access-date=28 September 2023 |agency=Stuff |publisher=The Post |date=August 26, 2023}}