Elena Kats-Chernin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elena Kats-Chernin AO
Kats-Chernin, 2018
Born	(1957-11-04) 4 November 1957 (age 67) Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union (now Uzbekistan)
Nationality	Soviet, Australian
Occupation	Composer, pianist

Elena Kats-Chernin (born 4 November 1957) is a famous Australian composer and pianist. She was born in Uzbekistan, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. She is especially well-known for her ballet called Wild Swans.

Early Life and Musical Journey

Elena Kats-Chernin was born in Tashkent, a city that is now the capital of Uzbekistan. Her family is Jewish. She started her music studies early, attending the Yaroslavl Music School. At age 14, she went to the Gnessin State Musical College in Moscow.

In 1975, Elena moved to Australia. She continued her music education at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. There, she studied composing with Richard Toop and piano with Gordon Watson. She finished her studies in 1980. During this time, she also took part in underground theatre groups in Darlinghurst, New South Wales.

After graduating, Kats-Chernin moved to Germany. She spent thirteen years there, studying with Helmut Lachenmann. She became very active in theatre and ballet music. She wrote music for state theatres in big European cities like Berlin, Vienna, and Hamburg. In 1993, she created a piece called Clocks for the Ensemble Modern. This piece has been performed all over the world.

A Career in Music

Elena Kats-Chernin returned to Australia in 1994. Since then, she has written many different types of music. These include several operas, a ballet, and two piano concertos. She has also composed music for many famous performers and groups. Some of these include the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

She was asked to write a piece called Page Turn for the 2000 Sydney International Piano Competition. In 2009, the National Museum of Australia asked her to create Garden of Dreams. This orchestral piece was named after a special part of the museum. It was first performed at the museum that same year.

Other well-known works by Kats-Chernin include Charleston Noir for solo piano. She also created Rockhampton Garden Symphonies with Mark Svendsen. This piece is for solo voices, choirs, and orchestra. Her ballet Wild Swans was a team effort with choreographer Meryl Tankard.

Elena has also worked with TV channels ZDF and Arte three times. She wrote soundtracks for their restored classic silent films. These included The Phantom Carriage (1995), The Devious Path (1999), and People on Sunday (2005).

Her music has been played at major events. It was featured at the opening ceremonies of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. It was also heard at the end of the 2003 Rugby World Cup. More recently, her music was part of the closing ceremony for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

A piece called "Eliza Aria" from her Wild Swans ballet was used in TV advertisements in Britain in 2007. One of her ragtime piano pieces, "Russian Rag", is the New York theme in the animated movie Mary and Max. Different versions of "Russian Rag" were also used as the theme for ABC Radio National's Late Night Live program for many years.

Elena Kats-Chernin has won many music awards in Australia. Her pieces are often played on ABC Classic FM. Her music has appeared in ten of the station's annual Classic 100 Countdowns. In 2025, she was the most popular female composer in the countdown. Three of her pieces were listed: Eliza Aria, Butterflying, and Russian Rag.

In 2019, a portrait of Elena Kats-Chernin was bought by the National Portrait Gallery (Australia). This portrait was painted by Australian artist Wendy Sharpe. Elena Kats-Chernin is also a composer represented by the Australian Music Centre.

Awards and Recognitions

Elena Kats-Chernin has received many important awards for her work in music.

Officer of the Order of Australia

In January 2019, Elena Kats-Chernin was named an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). This honor was given to her "for distinguished service to the performing arts." It recognized her special contributions as a composer of orchestral, operatic, and chamber music.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are annual awards given by the Australian Recording Industry Association. They started in 1987.

Australian Women in Music Awards

The Australian Women in Music Awards celebrate women who have made great contributions to the Australian music industry. These awards began in 2018.

Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards

The Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards started in 1984. They recognize amazing achievements in various performing arts, including music.

List of Works

Here are some of the many musical works Elena Kats-Chernin has created: