Katia Tiutiunnik facts for kids

Katia Tiutiunnik, born on March 19, 1967, in Sydney, Australia, is a talented Australian composer (someone who writes music), a scholar (a person who studies a lot), and a violist (someone who plays the viola, an instrument like a violin). Her family background includes Russian, Ukrainian, and Irish heritage.

Education and Early Studies

Katia Tiutiunnik went to high school at Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta and North Sydney Girls High School. She then studied music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, which is part of the University of Sydney. Here, she won several important awards, including the John Antill Composition Scholarship, the Don Banks Memorial Scholarship, and the Alfred Hill Prize when she graduated.

Advanced Studies and International Learning

Katia continued her studies and earned her PhD (a very high university degree) from the Australian National University. While there, she also learned a lot about Arabic language and culture. She also traveled to Rome, Italy, to study composition at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. This is a very famous music school, and she studied with a well-known composer named Franco Donatoni for two years.

Musical Journey and Career

Katia Tiutiunnik has shared her knowledge by giving lectures around the world. She has also received many awards, special requests to write music (called commissions), and grants to travel internationally. These came from both government and private groups. From 2010 to 2016, she was an Honorary Research Associate at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She also worked as a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Music, Universiti Teknologi MARA, in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, from 2012 to 2016. In August 2016, Katia became a Professor of Music at SIAS International University in Xinzheng, Henan Province, People's Republic of China.

Playing and Performing Music

From 1990 to 1993, Katia played the viola with the Sydney Youth Orchestra. She has also performed and recorded many of her own musical pieces, as well as music by other composers. She was the first Australian composer to be a visiting scholar at Columbia University in New York City. There, she talked about how her music uses symbols related to Islamic mysticism (a spiritual tradition) and events in the Middle East. She was also a visiting fellow at the Australian National University and an artist-in-residence at schools like Canberra Girls' Grammar School and Canberra Grammar School. She was also a composer-in-residence at a famous electronic music studio in New York City called Charles Morrow Productions.

Published Works and Inspirations

Katia Tiutiunnik's compositions have been published in Australia, Italy, and the United States. You can find her music in many international libraries, including the Bodleian Library at Oxford University and the National Library of Australia. Her PhD paper, called The Symbolic Dimension: An Exploration of the Compositional Process, is also held at the Bodleian Library. In 2009, a revised version of her PhD paper was published as a book. This book received a detailed review in a respected music journal in 2011.

Many of Katia's compositions explore the idea of a journey from darkness to light. Several of her works are inspired by Islamic mysticism and similar traditions. The musical symbols in these pieces often come from her understanding of Near Eastern traditions of numerology (the study of the hidden meaning of numbers). Other important influences on her music include the beautiful landscapes, plants, and animals of Australia. She also draws inspiration from historical and current events in the Middle East, as well as the religion and stories of Ancient Mesopotamia.

Performances Around the World

Katia Tiutiunnik's music has been performed and broadcast in many countries. These include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Featured at Festivals and Conferences

Her compositions have been part of many important music festivals and conferences. Some of these include:

• The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival in Alaska.
• The Festivale Internazionale di Musica Contemporanea in Milan, Italy.
• The Sydney Spring Festival in Australia.
• The 28th General Assembly of the International Music Council in Petra, Jordan, in 1999. At this event, her symphonic poem Noor was performed for the first time. It was dedicated to Queen Noor of Jordan.
• The International Congress for Women in Music in Beijing, China, in 2008.

Concerts and Broadcasts

On March 19, 2007, which was Katia's fortieth birthday, a special concert of her music was held in Saint Petersburg, Russia. This concert was part of celebrations for 200 years of business relations between Australia and Russia. Famous musicians, like the Rimsky-Korsakov Quartet, performed her music. On the same day, Katia gave a lecture for music students at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory and was interviewed by Radio Maria. This event was supported by the Embassy of Australia in Moscow and other sponsors.

Presentations about how Katia's music can help with global conflict resolution have been given at places like Bard College and the University of Hawaii. Her music has also been used in plays at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in cities like London, Melbourne, New York, and Sydney. Her compositions have also been featured as part of the Daniel Pearl World Music Days.

In late 2009, a group called Borealis Brass from the University of Alaska Fairbanks performed over ten of Katia's works in Australia. These performances took place in Batemans Bay, at Sydney's St. Andrew's Cathedral, and on the Sunshine Coast. A highlight of this tour was a lecture about how music can help solve global conflicts. This lecture featured Katia's music and music by other women composers.

In April 2010, Katia gave a guest lecture and attended an Australian premiere of her music at the University of Melbourne. Her musical setting of the poem To the Enemy by Eva Salzman was performed for the first time on August 26, 2010, at the Soundstream Festival in Adelaide, South Australia. This performance was broadcast live by ABC Classic FM.

Since 2012, Katia Tiutiunnik's music has continued to be broadcast internationally. Many international artists have performed her works. Katia herself has performed as a violist with the Sias University Symphony Orchestra in China and at other venues. She has also performed as an erhu player (a Chinese string instrument) in China and Malaysia. On March 4, 2020, Katia Tiutiunnik's flute and piano piece, The Quickening, was released on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation album Women of Note: A Century of Australian Composers Volume 2.

Personal Life

From 2008 to early 2012, Katia Tiutiunnik lived with her two sons in the Eurobodalla Shire in New South Wales, Australia. From March 2012 to September 2016, she lived in Shah Alam in Selangor, Malaysia. From September 2016 to November 2019, Katia lived in Xinzheng, Henan Province, People's Republic of China.

Selected Works

Here are some of Katia Tiutiunnik's musical compositions:

Orchestral and concertante (music for orchestra, sometimes with a solo instrument)

• Nights in Arabia for viola and orchestra (1992, revised 1998)
• Noor for violin and orchestra (1998)
• An Orientalist in Palestine for orchestra (2000)
• Wonders of Babylon for trombone, wind orchestra and percussion (2001)
• Mikhail for cello and orchestra (2005)
• Redemption: Four reflections for viola and string orchestra (2016)
• 玫瑰 Méiguī : Roses for Chinese Traditional Orchestra (2017)
• 鲜花节 Xiānhuā jié : Festival of Flowers: Symphonic Jewels of the East No.I (2018)

Chamber and instrumental (music for small groups of instruments or solo instruments)

• Al'amut for piccolo, bass clarinet, harp and tubular bells (1993)
• Arcano for oboe, clarinet, violin and harp (1993)
• Sinan for oboe solo (1993)
• Adone for flute, oboe clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, piano and percussion (1994)
• Arà for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello, piano and percussion (1995)
• Hidayah for piccolo solo (1995)
• Erato for clarinet solo (1995)
• Apoteosi for piccolo, flute and alto flute (one player) (1995)
• Mahdoom for trombone solo (1998)
• Al-Kauthar for cello solo (1999)
• Danza delle fate arabe for guitar solo (1999)
• Lament of the Flutes for Dumuzi for flute and piano (1999)
• Night Journey for string quartet (2000)
• Al-Hisar for trombone, or viola, or cello solo (2001)
• Canto di Enheduanna for flute, cello and piano (2001)
• Tre Preghiere di Nabuccoduriussor for guitar solo (2001)
• Prayer for viola solo (2002)
• Rinascita for flute, trombone, mezzo-soprano, percussion and violin (2002)
• Via Trionfale: Verso Il Loto Benedetto for horn, trumpet and trombone (2002)
• Cities of the Gods, Cycle of 5 Works for cello solo (2004)

1. "Portal to Nibiru"
2. "Lament to Inanna"
3. "O Fair Daughter of Man!"
4. "Sacred Marriage in TILMUN"
5. "Ali Dorati dei Nefilim (Golden Wings of the Nefilim)"

• L'Imperatore Amato for 2 trumpets (2004)
• The Quickening: A Tribute to Jonathan Kramer for flute and piano (2005)
• Who Is Like God?, Cycle of 4 Works for cello solo (2006)

1. "Exiled in Babylon"
2. "Embracing Dumuzi"
3. "Temple of the Sun"
4. "White Night"

• White Night for viola solo (2006)
• White Nights of Dreams for viola, tubular bells and tam-tam (2007)
• La Passion de Jehanne for trombone and violin (2009)
• Out of the Depths for brass quintet (2009)
• Invocazione a Dumuzi for piano and violin (2011)
• L'Embargo for viola and percussion ensemble (2011)
• La Notte Bianca for violin (2011)
• Inno a Dumuzi for countertenor and piano (2012)
• Abbracciando Dumuzi for violoncello, vibraphone and togunggak ensemble (2012)
• Malam Putih for 2 violas and togunggak ensemble (2012)
• Elegia: Una Notte Bianca for trombone solo (2012)
• Al-Falaq for trumpet, trombone, togunggak ensemble, 2 gendang and gong aggung (2013)
• Ballando con la Vita for trombone and violin (2013)
• Le Vie del Vento Divino for flute/ney, 2 bass flutes, contrabass flute and percussion (2013)
• At-Taubah: A Meditation for 'Oud for 'oud solo (2013)
• A Requiem for bass flute and vibraphone (2014)
• Gioielli della Notte for contrabass flute solo (2014)
• Notti Bianche d'Amore for bass flute or contrabass flute and tubular bells (2014)
• Al-Laila: A Lamentation for 'Oud for 'oud solo (2014)
• Az-Zuhoor: An Elegy for 'Oud for 'oud solo (2014)
• Sacred Night for bass clarinet, violin and digital delay (2014)
• Una Notte Sacra for bass flute or contrabass flute solo (2015)
• Notti Sacre delle Nuvole Bianche for 2 flutes, alto flute, bass flute and tubular bells (2015)
• Daripada Kedalaman for piccolo, 4 flutes and bass flute (2015)
• Le Regine for violin, amplified gambus and gamelan ensemble (2015)
• Tarian Takdir for amplified gambus, togunggak ensemble, 2 gendang and gong aggung (2015)
• Ukiran Malam for viola, violoncello, tubular bells and digital delay (2015)
• Festival des Roses for trumpet, trombone and gamelan ensemble (2015)
• Roses : Reflections for flute, bass flute, tubular bells/vibraphone and tam-tam (2017)
• 神圣的夜晚 Shénshèng de yèwǎn : A meditation for bass flute, viola, tubular bells/vibraphone and tam-tam (2017)
• Les Nuits Blanches des Rêves for oboe, tubular bells and tam-tam (2018)
• 拥抱重生 Yǒngbào chóngshēng for violin solo (2018)
• Dansant avec la vie for flute and bass flute or flute and contrabass flute (2018)
• 与生活共舞 Yǔ shēnghuó gòng wǔ for flute and violin (2018)
• 挽歌：神圣的白夜 Wǎngē: Shénshèng de Báiyè for alto saxophone solo (2018)
• Embrassant la Renaissance for oboe solo (2018)
• 拥抱重生 Yǒngbào chóngshēng : Embracing the Rebirth for erhu solo (2018)
• 禁运 Jìn yùn : The Embargo for oboe and percussion ensemble (2018)
• Le Notti Bianche dei Sogni : for flute, tubular bells and tam-tam for flute, tubular bells and tam-tam (2018)
• 祷告 Dǎogào : Prayer for gaohu solo (2018)
• 祷告 Dǎogào for erhu solo (2018)
• L'Abbraccio della Rinascita for bass flute and contrabass flute solo (2018)
• Dumuzi's Embrace for viola solo (2018)
• Una notte sacra for alto flute (2018)
• 玫瑰第三章节:白玫瑰献给死去的女王 Méiguī dì sān zhāngjié: Bái méiguī xiàn gěi sǐqù de nǚwáng for erhu and piano (2019)
• L'Abbraccio della Rinascita for flute and bass flute solo (2020)
• Una Notte Sacra per flauto in Do flute solo (2020)
• Iluminada: Três Reflexões sobre Fátima, for recorder and harpsichord (2022)

1. "Sombras dos Segredos" for tenor recorder and harpsichord
2. "Rainha Resplandecente" for descant recorder and harpsichord
3. "Dança Sagrada" for tenor recorder and harpsichord

Piano

• Bhairawa for piano solo (1995)
• Agressi Sunt Mare Tenebrarum Quid in Eo Esset Exploraturi for piano (1996)

Vocal (music for voices)

• Rinascita for mezzo-soprano, trombone, percussion, violin and violoncello (2002)
• Resurrection for massed choirs and two large percussion ensembles (2004)
• To the Enemy for soprano and percussion ensemble (2004); text by Eva Salzman
• Jehanne for soprano and viola (2007); text by Elisabetta Faenza
• De Profundis Clamavi for soprano solo and women's and/or children's choir (2009)

Electroacoustic (music that uses electronic sounds)

• Dumuzi, Priest and King for 3 Dimensional Sound Cube and viola, Charles Morrow Productions (2005)
• Voices in the Night for multi channelled cello and voices (2006); text: Lucy Aponte; cello: David Pereira; voices: Anthony Michael Tiutiunnik and Katia Tiutiunnik