Ann Carr-Boyd facts for kids

Ann Kirsten Carr-Boyd (born 13 July 1938) is an Australian composer and music expert. She writes classical music and knows a lot about the history of European music in Australia.

Ann Carr-Boyd's Early Life

Ann Kirsten Wentzel was born in Sydney, Australia. Her family had a strong connection to music. Her grandfather, Albert Wentzel, came to Australia in 1888. He was a violinist from Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic). He played with an orchestra during the celebrations for 100 years of European settlement. Ann's father, Norbert Wentzel, taught her piano and how to compose music. Her uncle, Charles Wentzel, taught her the violin. Both her father and uncle played the viola in the famous Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Her Education and Studies

Ann studied music at the University of Sydney. In 1960, she was one of the first two students to earn a Bachelor of Music degree. Later, she received the university's very first Master of Arts degree in music. She also traveled to London to continue her studies. There, she learned from famous composers like Peter Racine Fricker and Alexander Goehr. While in London, she got married and started her family.

Returning to Australia

Ann Carr-Boyd came back to Sydney in 1967. Since then, she has been very busy in the music world. She has worked in radio broadcasting and taught music. She has also helped write important music dictionaries. These include the Australian Dictionary of Biography and the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Awards and Contributions

In 1975, Ann won the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award. This is a special prize for composers. She also helped start the Lane Cove Symphony Orchestra. This orchestra is now known as the Mosman Orchestra. Ann and her three daughters all play in this orchestra. One of her musical pieces was performed at the official opening of the New Parliament House in Canberra in 1988. This was a very important event for Australia. Today, Ann lives in Moss Vale, in the Southern Highlands area of New South Wales. It's interesting to know that another Australian composer, Anne Boyd, has a similar name, but they are not related.

Ann Carr-Boyd's Music

Ann Carr-Boyd has written many different types of music. Her works include a symphony, which is a long piece for an orchestra. She has also composed concertos for piano and violin. A concerto is a piece where one instrument plays a solo part with an orchestra. She writes chamber music, which is for small groups of instruments. She also composes vocal music, which includes singing.

The Harpsichord in Her Music

The harpsichord is an old keyboard instrument that looks a bit like a piano. It is very important in Ann's music. She often uses the harpsichord in her pieces, like in her work called Suite for Véronique.

Her Most Famous Piece

Many people know Ann Carr-Boyd for a short and lively piece called Fandango. It was written for a mandolin group. A mandolin is a string instrument, similar to a small guitar. Fandango was nominated for a special award in 1999 called the Most Performed Classical Composition at the APRA Awards. In 2008, it was even ranked 55th in a survey of popular chamber music. This survey was done by ABC Classic FM radio.