‘Gilgamesh’ Opera Dominates 2025 Art Music Awards
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Sydney,Australia – August 21,2025 – Jack Symonds‘ groundbreaking opera,Gilgamesh,was the major winner at the 2025 Art Music Awards,presented in a ceremony held in Sydney today. The awards recognize outstanding achievements in contemporary classical music, jazz, improvisation, and experimental sound arts across Australia.
A modern Take on an Ancient Epic
Based on the ancient Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, the opera explores themes of tyranny, friendship, love, and the search for wisdom. This production marked the first time the epic has been realized as an English-language opera, with a libretto penned by Louis Garrick.
Did you Know? The Epic of Gilgamesh is considered one of the earliest surviving great works of literature.
Key Winners and Recognition
Composer Jack Symonds secured two awards: Work of the Year: Dramatic for Gilgamesh,and the NSW State Luminary Award acknowledging his important contributions to Australian opera. The production itself, a collaboration between Sydney Chamber Opera, Opera Australia, the Australian String Quartet, and Ensemble Offspring, also received the Performance of the Year: Notated Composition award.
The awards also celebrated other prominent figures in the Australian music landscape. Stephen Adams, a former presenter and producer for ABC Classic, was honored with a National Luminary Award for his dedication to Australian music. Jazz saxophonist Cheryl Durongpisitkul, as part of the trio Koi Kingdom, won work of the Year: Jazz.
Celebrating Diversity in Composition
The 2025 awards highlighted the growing impact of women composers within the Australian art community.Anne Cawrse,Cathy Milliken,and Kate Milligan each received Work of the Year awards in the categories of Choral Composition,chamber Music,and Electroacoustic/Sound Art,respectively.
Further accolades were given to Chloe Kim for her composition, Music for Six Double Bassists, which earned the Performance of the Year: Jazz/Improvised Music award. Art music pioneers Jon Rose and Hollis Taylor were jointly awarded the Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music, recognizing their innovative and boundary-pushing work, including their project mapping the acoustic qualities of Australia’s vast fence lines.
Award Ceremony Details
The ceremony, organized by the Australian Music Center and APRA AMCOS, took place at Sydney’s City Recital Hall. ABC Classic Drive presenter Vanessa Hughes hosted the event, with guest presenters Nardi Simpson and Hamed Sadeghi, and music curation by Sia Ahmad.
2025 Art Music Awards: Key Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Work of the Year: Choral | Anne Cawrse: All Flesh Is Fire |
| Work of the Year: Dramatic | Jack symonds: Gilgamesh |
| Work of the Year: Jazz | Cheryl Durongpisitkul, Stephen Hornby, Marcos Villalta: Koi kingdom |
| Work of the Year: Large Ensemble | Jakub Jankowski: Ritornello |
| work of the Year: chamber Music | cathy Milliken: In Speak |
| work of the Year: Electroacoustic/Sound Art | Kate Milligan: Tactus |
| Performance of the Year: Jazz/Improvised Music | Max Alduca, Jacques Emery, Brett Hirst, Chloe Kim, Oscar Neyland, Helen svoboda, Jonathan Zwartz: Music For Six Double Bassists |
| Performance of the Year: Notated Composition | Sydney Chamber Opera, Opera Australia, Australian String Quartet, Ensemble Offspring: Gilgamesh |
Pro Tip: Explore the work of the Australian Music Centre (AMC) to discover more about contemporary Australian composers and performers.
Additional Awards & Recognition
Musica Viva Australia received the Award for Excellence in Music Education for its Accessible Music Education Program. Big hART was awarded the Award for Excellence in a Regional area for Tjaabi: Flood Country – 2024 Regional Tour.Aviva Endean received the Award for Excellence in experimental Practice for her work, The Breath Becomes The Wind.
Luminary Awards were also presented to individuals and organizations making significant contributions at the state and territory levels, recognizing sustained impact and leadership within their communities.
What does this surge in recognition for Australian composers and performers mean for the future of the nation’s art music scene? And how will these awards inspire the next generation of musical innovators?