Holly Harrison

Harrison grew up in the Hawkesbury region West of Sydney. She was awarded a music scholarship to attend St Paul's Grammar School for trumpet performance. During high school she began playing drum kit, performing with rock, punk and post-rock bands.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-31 |title=Inside the Musician: Holly Harrison: My Musical World {{!}} Loud Mouth - The Music Trust Ezine |url=https://musictrust.com.au/loudmouth/inside-the-musician-holly-harrison-my-musical-world/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |language=en-AU}}

Harrison graduated from Western Sydney University School of Music with a Bachelor of Music, First Class Honours, and was awarded the University Medal. She then went on to complete a Doctorate of Creative Arts in composition at Western Sydney University.{{Cite web |date=2019-08-26 |title=A private viewing into the career of Holly Harrison {{!}} CutCommon |url=https://www.cutcommonmag.com/a-private-viewing-into-the-career-of-holly-harrison/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |language=en-US}}

Harrison's music is frequently performed across Australia and internationally. In Australia she has worked with leading orchestras including Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, as well as chamber ensembles including Ensemble Offspring,{{Cite news |last=Sebag-Montefiore |first=Clarissa |date=2019-08-20 |title=Beyond the 'dead white dudes': how to solve the gender problem in Australian classical music |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/aug/20/beyond-the-dead-white-dudes-how-to-solve-the-gender-problem-in-australian-classical-music |access-date=2023-11-17 |issn=0261-3077}} Omega Ensemble,{{Cite web |title=Holly Harrison World Premiere: Daredevil |url=https://limelight-arts.com.au/features/holly-harrison-world-premiere-daredevil/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=Limelight |language=en-AU}} and Australian String Quartet.{{Cite web |title=Holly Harrison : Represented Artist Profile : Australian Music Centre |url=https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/artist/harrison-holly |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=www.australianmusiccentre.com.au}} Internationally, she has collaborated with ensembles including Eighth Blackbird, Alarm Will Sound, Goldmund Quartett, Orkest de Ereprijs.

Harrison's work Cabbages and Kings was awarded first place at the 2014 Young Composers Meeting in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, chaired by Dutch composer Louis Andriessen.{{Cite web |title=Young Australian composer wins international prize |url=https://limelight-arts.com.au/features/young-australian-composer-wins-international-prize/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=Limelight |language=en-AU}}

In 2017, Harrison's Lobster Tales and Turtle Soup featured in Eighth Blackbird's Australian Tour with Musica Viva Australia.{{Cite web |title=Of lobster tales and turtle soup |url=https://limelight-arts.com.au/features/of-lobster-tales-and-turtle-soup/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=Limelight |language=en-AU}} Harrison was awarded the inaugural Sue W Chamber Music Composition Prize for the work {{Cite web |title=Holly Harrison wins the Sue W Chamber Music Composition Prize |url=https://limelight-arts.com.au/news/holly-harrison-wins-sue-w-chamber-music-composition-prize/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=Limelight |language=en-AU}} and Eighth Blackbird was later awarded Performance of the Year at the APRA Music Awards of 2018 for their performance of Lobster Tales and Turtle Soup.{{Cite web |title=Winners of the 2018 Art Music Awards announced |url=https://limelight-arts.com.au/news/winners-of-the-2018-art-music-awards-announced/ |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=Limelight |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |title=Art Music Awards - APRA AMCOS & AMC |url=https://www.apraamcos.com.au/about/supporting-the-industry/awards/art-music-awards-2018 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=APRA AMCOS |language=en-US}}

From 2020-2022 Harrison was composer in residence for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, in that time Harrison had five works premiered by the orchestra and conducted by Norwegian conductor Eivind Aadland.{{Cite web |title=WE'RE THRILLED TO WELCOME HOLLY HARRISON TO THE TSO FAMILY |url=https://www.tso.com.au/holly-harrison-tso/ |access-date=6 November 2023 |website=Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra}}{{Cite web |last=Eslake |first=Stephanie |date= |title=THE PANDEMIC HASN'T STOPPED OUR RESIDENT COMPOSER HOLLY HARRISON FROM MAKING MUSIC |url=https://www.tso.com.au/the-pandemic-hasnt-stopped-our-resident-composer-holly-harrison-from-making-music/ |access-date=6 November 2023 |website=Tasmanian Symphony orchestra}}

Harrison's Splinter for Wind Ensemble, originally written for orchestra, was premiered in 2021 by San Jose State University Wind Ensemble and has been performed across the US and Australia. Splinter was a finalist in the APRA Music Awards of 2021 for the large ensemble category.{{Cite web |title=2021 Art Music Awards Finalists Announced |url=https://www.apraamcos.com.au/about-us/news-and-events/art-music-finalists-announced |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=APRA AMCOS |language=en-US}} Her first original work for Wind Ensemble POUNCE was commissioned by a consortium led by conductor Lucas Peterson,{{cite thesis |last1=Petersen |first1=Lucas |date=2023 |title=Pounce: An Original Work for Band by Holly Harrison a Conductor's Analysis |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/2ab3e7dc2abc447a3ca4b10daba9a686/1 }}{{page needed|date=March 2024}} the work was premiered in April 2023 and later that year was selected as a finalist in the NBA/William D. Revelli Memorial Composition Contest.

In 2022, Harrison was awarded the Western Sydney University Chancellor's Alumni of the Year Award at the annual University Alumni Awards.{{Cite web |last=Pearce |first=Cassidy |date=2022-11-08 |title=Penrith local wins WSU Alumni of the Year Award |url=https://westernweekender.com.au/2022/11/penrith-local-wins-wsu-alumni-of-the-year-award/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=The Western Weekender |language=en-US}}

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Category:Australian classical composers

Category:1988 births

Category:Living people