Larry Sitsky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Emeritus Professor Larry Sitsky AO, FAHA
Sitsky in 2019
Born	Lazar Sitsky (1934-09-10) 10 September 1934 (age 90) Tianjin, China
Alma mater	New South Wales Conservatorium of Music
Occupation	Composer pianist music educator scholar

Larry Sitsky (born 10 September 1934) is a famous Australian composer, pianist, and music teacher. He has made a huge impact on Australian music.

Larry was the first Australian to be invited to the USSR (now Russia) for a cultural visit in 1977. He has won many awards for his music. These include the Albert H. Maggs Composition Award twice, and the Alfred Hill Memorial Prize. He also received a Fulbright Award and an Advance Australia Award for his musical achievements.

Larry Sitsky's Early Life and Career

Larry Sitsky was born in Tianjin, China. His parents were Russian-Jewish immigrants. From a very young age, Larry showed he had absolute pitch. This means he could identify any musical note or chord just by hearing it. He could even do this from another room!

He started playing piano when he was very young. He gave his first public concert at just nine years old. Soon after, he began writing his own music.

Moving to Australia and Music Studies

Larry's family had to leave China in 1951. They moved to Australia and settled in Sydney. Larry first studied engineering at university because his parents wanted him to. But he soon convinced them to let him follow his real passion: music.

He won a scholarship to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. There, he studied piano and composition. He graduated in 1955. Later, he won another scholarship to study in San Francisco, USA, for two years.

When he returned to Australia, he became a teacher at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. His teachers and his Russian background gave him a special way of playing piano. This made him known around the world.

Teaching and Performing Music

In 1966, Larry became the Head of Keyboard Studies at the Canberra School of Music. He also led the Musicology and Composition departments. Today, he is an Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University in Canberra. This means he is a retired professor who is still highly respected.

Larry has always performed music as well as composed it. He believes that composers should perform their own music. He thinks that playing for a live audience keeps music exciting and real. As a performer, he loves to play music from the 20th century.

Larry Sitsky likes to try new things with his music. He often changes his musical style. This helps him express himself in fresh and interesting ways.

Larry Sitsky's Musical Works

Larry Sitsky has written many different kinds of musical pieces. He has also published books about music. These include The Classical Reproducing Piano Roll and Music of the Repressed Russian Avant-Garde. He has also recorded many CDs of Australian piano music.

Many groups and events have asked Larry to write music for them. These include the ABC, Musica Viva Australia, and the Sydney International Piano Competition. He even announced plans to write a series of operas based on the stories of Enid Blyton. These operas were first performed at the ANU School of Music.

Selected Works

Larry Sitsky has created many important works. Here are some of them:

Operas

• The Fall of the House of Usher (1965): An opera with words by Gwen Harwood.
• Lenz (1970): Another opera with words by Gwen Harwood.
• Fiery Tales (1975): Based on stories by Chaucer and Boccaccio.
• Voices in Limbo (1977): With words by Gwen Harwood.
• The Golem (1980): This opera was performed by The Australian Opera in 1993.
• De Profundis (1982): With words by Gwen Harwood.
• Three scenes from Aboriginal life (1988): This includes "Campfire scene," "Mathina," and "Legend of the Brolga."

Ballets

• Sinfonia for Ten Players (also called "The Dark Refuge") (1964)

Orchestral Music

• Concerto for Orchestra (1984)
• Symphony in Four Movements (first performed in 2001)

Concertos

Concertos are pieces for a solo instrument with an orchestra.

• Piano Concerto (1991, revised 1994)
• Cello Concerto (1993)
• Violin Concerto No. 4 (1998)
• Zohar: Sephardic Concerto for mandolin and orchestra (1998)

Solo Instrument Pieces

• Improvisation and Cadenza for solo viola (1964)
• Khavar for solo trombone (1984)
• "Sayat Nova" for solo Oboe (1984)

Vocal Music

• Incidental music to Faust for solo piano and three sopranos (1996)
• Seven Zen Songs for voice and viola (2005)

Personal Life

Larry Sitsky is married to Magda Sitsky, who was born in the Czech Republic.

Awards and Honours

Larry Sitsky has received many important awards and honours for his work in music.

In 1997, the Australian National University gave him its first Higher Doctorate in Fine Arts. This is a very high academic honour. In 1998, he became a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

In 2000, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). This award recognized his great service to music as a composer, music expert, pianist, and teacher. In the same year, he received the Centenary Medal for his contributions to Australian society through music.

In 2017, Larry Sitsky was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). This is an even higher honour. It recognized his outstanding service to the arts as a composer and concert pianist, and his work in music education.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are big awards given each year in Australia for excellent music.

Don Banks Music Award

The Don Banks Music Award is a special award created in 1984. It honours a senior artist who has made a huge and lasting contribution to music in Australia.