Resonate Magazine | Australian Music Centre

Image: Melbourne Prize winners Natalie Bartsch, David Jones and Benjamin Northey  

The prestigious Melbourne Prize for Music 2010 for 'a Victorian musician or group of musicians who have made an outstanding contribution to Australian music and to public and cultural life' has been awarded to Melbourne-based drummer and percussionist David Jones. In addition to the main prize of $60,000, conductor Benjamin Northey received the Outstanding Musicians Award ($30,000), and pianist and composer Natalie Bartsch won the $13,000 Development Award, recognising an emerging musician who demonstrates outstanding musical talent. The annual Melbourne Prize runs on a three-year cycle, recognising sculptors, writers and musicians in turn. Previous winners include Paul Grabowsky, Genevieve Lacey and Julian Langdon.

The recipient of the 2010 Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award for 'outstanding contribution to music in Australia' was also announced in November. The award went to composer, violist and conductor Brett Dean. The award honours the memory of Sir Bernard Heinze (1894-1982), Ormond Professor of Music at the University of Melbourne for 31 years and one of the major pioneers of orchestral musical life in Australia. Former winners include Richard Bonynge, Stephen McIntyre, Yvonne Kenny, Peter Sculthorpe, John Hopkins, Barry Tuckwell, Richard Tognetti and Sir Frank Callaway. Dean was presented with a University of Melbourne medal and monetary prize at a celebratory luncheon attended by senior academic staff of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Friends and distinguished guests.

Further links

Melbourne Prize website (http://www.melbourneprizetrust.org/)
David Jones (www.davidjonesdrums.com.au/)
Heinze Memorial Award - news item on the University of Melbourne website