OFFICIAL
BIOGRAPHY (August 2010)
“… the young and already renowned soloist Claire Edwardes … responded with
faultless self-possession and technical brilliance.” The Sydney Morning Herald
“Edwardes’s enthusiasm was hard to resist in the relentlessly busy opening...but
she took the performance to a new level in the final movement with spellbinding
intensity” The Sydney Morning Herald
A rising
star in the international percussion world, Claire Edwardes is at the forefront
of her field. Since winning the ABC Young Performers Award in 1999 her
charismatic presentations and unique interpretations of new and old works, have
won over audiences worldwide. Likewise, she has inspired composers from Shanghai
to London to write specifically for her. In 2007 Claire was awarded the coveted
AMC/APRA Classical Music award for “Outstanding contribution by an individual”
through her commitment to Australian music and in 2005 she was awarded the MCA
Freedman Fellowship.
Claire graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (BMUS Hon1) as Student
of the Year in 1997, where her teacher was Daryl Pratt. During a successful
period living in Europe (1999-2006), she studied with Richard Jansons at the
Rotterdam Conservatory as well as Peter Prommel and Jan Pustjens at the
Amsterdam Conservatory and participated in workshops and courses given by Steve
Schick, Kroumata and Chris Lamb.
She won first prize in the 2000 Tromp Percussion Competition and the 2001
Llangollen International Instrumentalist and started a successful percussion duo
with Niels Meliefste, Duo Vertigo (3rd Prize Gaudeamus Interpreters
Competition). She performed as soloist with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Radio
Chamber Orchestra and Brabants Orkest and played regularly with Slagwerk Groep
Den Haag and Asko/Shönberg
Ensemble. Claire presented many recitals throughout Europe as well as being
featured in major contemporary music festivals such as Huddersfield (UK),
Gaudeamus (Holland) and the Transit Festival (Belgium).
Claire returned to Sydney in 2006 and became the co-artistic director of the
successful contemporary music group, Ensemble Offspring. In Australia she
colaborates with Richard Tognetti, Bernadette Balkus and William Barton and
works closely with composers such as Ross Edwards, Matthew Hindson, Damien
Ricketson and Elena Kats-Chernin. Claire has
performed with all of the Australian orchestras and in 2009, was featured
soloist with the Sydney Symphony, Sydney Youth Orchestra, TOPS and Kammerklang Ensemble.
Recent highlights include appearances at the 2010 Sydney Festival, 2009
Queensland Music Festival (Cooktown) and 2006/2007 Australian Festivals of
Chamber Music as well as solo recitals in the Shoalhaven, Woodend, Eindhoven and
London.
Equally at home
performing at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam as the Sydney Opera House, Claire is
a passionate chamber musician and recitalist committed to the advancement of
innovative new music through the medium of percussion. Her latest solo CD, FLASH:
Marimba Miniatures, will be released later in 2010 on the Tall Poppies label.
TEACHERS
Secondary School: Faye Lake (piano),
Linda Vogt (flute), Jess Ciampa (percussion)
Undergraduate: Daryl Pratt (percussion), Richard Miller (timpani), Ian
Cleworth (snare drum)
Postgraduate: Richard Jansons, Hans Leenders, Peter Prommel, Nick Woud,
Jan Pustjens
Courses/Masterclasses: Steve Schick, Kroumata, Kevin Hathway, Leigh
Howard
Stevens, Michael Burritt
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2009 Gitimalya
Marimba Concerto by Toru Takemitsu, Sydney Symphony, Sydney Opera House
2007 Soundscapes
composed and conducted by Richard Mills, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra,
Melbourne Town Hall
2003
Harrison Birtwistle’s The Axe Manual
recorded
on the Metronome Label (***** BBC Music Magazine)
with
Nicolas Hodges + performance at the 2004 Birtwistle Festival (Queen
Elizabeth Hall,
London)
2003
Unsuk Chin’s Double Concerto
conducted
by Peter Eötvös, Radio Chamber Orchestra,
Grote Zaal
Concertgebouw
(Amsterdam)
2001
James MacMillan’s
Veni Veni Emmanuel
conducted by James MacMillan,
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
1999 Young Performer of the Year Schwantner Percussion Concerto,
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Markus Stenz
PRIZES & DEGREES
2007
AMC/APRA
Classical Music Awards
Award
for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual (for Duo Vertigo the Duyfken
Project)
2005
MCA/Freedman
Fellowship for
Classical Music (Australia)
2005
Third Prize: DUO VERTIGO
Gaudeamus International Interpreters Competition (The
Netherlands)
2003
Master of Music (Honours): Amsterdam Conservatorium of Music (The
Netherlands
)
2001
First Prize: Llangollen International Instrumentalist (Wales,
UK)
2000
First Prize: Tromp Percussion Competition (The Netherlands)
1999
Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year (Australia)
1997
Student of the Year
(BMusHon1): Sydney
Conservatorium of Music (Australia)
TELEVISION APPEARANCES
2008 Arias with Gabriells Cilmi
2007 Spicks & Specks, ABC
2003 MTV, Holland with Duo Vertigo
2002 Grachten Festival, Amsterdam
2002 BBC Wales, performing Rebonds by Xenakis
1999 Young Performers Award, ABC/Symphony Australia
Claire Edwardes
Percussion 
