Liza Lim facts for kids

Liza Lim AM (born on August 30, 1966) is an Australian composer. She creates different kinds of music, including pieces for orchestras and smaller groups of instruments (called chamber music). She also writes music for theatre shows. Liza Lim has worked with artists on special art projects that include installations and videos. Her music often shows her interest in Asian traditions, the beauty of Aboriginal art, and the way music is played in non-Western cultures.

Early Life and Learning

Liza Lim was born in Perth, Western Australia. Her parents were doctors from China. When she was young, they worked and studied in Brunei. Liza went to a boarding school during this time.

When she was 11, her teachers at Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne encouraged her. They suggested she try composing music instead of just playing piano and violin. Liza has said she "owes everything to them" for this encouragement.

She studied music at several universities. She earned her main degree from the Victorian College of the Arts in 1986. Later, she got her Master of Music from the University of Melbourne in 1996. She also earned a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Queensland. Liza Lim learned about composing from teachers like Richard David Hames and Riccardo Formosa in Melbourne. She also studied with Ton de Leeuw in Amsterdam.

Her Music Career

Liza Lim has shared her knowledge at many places around the world. She has been a guest speaker at music schools and universities. These include the Darmstadt Summer School in Germany and universities in the United States. She also taught composition at Melbourne University in 1991. In 2006, she helped organize a concert series for the Adelaide Festival of Arts.

Many famous groups and orchestras have asked Liza Lim to write music for them. These include the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. She wrote Ecstatic Architecture for the opening season of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. This building was designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry. Her music has also been played at major music festivals. These include the Festival d'automne à Paris [fr] and the Venice Biennale.

Since 1986, Liza Lim has worked closely with the ELISION Ensemble. Her husband, Daryl Buckley, is the artistic director of this group. From 2005 to 2007, she was the composer-in-residence for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. This means she worked closely with them for two years. During this time, she wrote a piece called The Compass. It was first performed in 2006 at the Sydney Opera House. William Barton played the didgeridoo in this performance.

In 2007 and 2008, Liza Lim lived in Berlin, Germany, as an artist-in-residence. There, she created her third opera, The Navigator. This opera was inspired by the old story of Tristan and Isolde. In 2008, she became a professor of composition at the University of Huddersfield in England. In 2017, she joined the music team at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Selected Music Works

Liza Lim has created many different kinds of musical pieces. Here are some of them:

Stage Works

These are pieces meant for the stage, like operas or performances.

• 1991–93 The Oresteia. A Memory Theatre, an opera.
• 1994–95 Bar-do'i-thos-grol, a 7-night art performance based on The Tibetan Book of the Dead.
• 1991–99 Yuè Lìng Jié (Moon Spirit Feasting), a Chinese ritual street opera.
• 2005 Glass House Mountains, an art installation with artist Judy Watson.
• 2008 The Navigator, an opera for singers, instruments, and electronics.

Orchestra Works

These are pieces written for a large group of musicians, an orchestra.

• 1994–95 Sri-Vidya, Utterances of Adoration for choir and orchestra.
• 2001–02 Ecstatic Architecture, written for the opening of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
• 2005–06 The Compass for orchestra with flute and didgeridoo soloists.
• 2010 Pearl, Ochre, Hair String for orchestra.

Ensemble Works

These pieces are for smaller groups of instruments, often called ensembles.

• 1988–89 Garden of Earthly Desire for various instruments.
• 1990 Diabolical Birds for piccolo, bass clarinet, piano, violin, violoncello, vibraphone.
• 1999 Veil for flute, bass clarinet, trumpet, percussion, piano, violin, violoncello.
• 2005 Mother Tongue for soprano and 15 instruments, using poems by Patricia Sykes.
• 2006 City of Falling Angels for 12 percussion instruments.

Chamber Music

These are pieces for a small number of instruments, with one player per part.

• 1996 Inguz (Fertility) for clarinet and violoncello.
• 1999 Sonorous Bodies for koto (a Japanese string instrument) and voice.
• 2004 In the Shadow's Light for string quartet (two violins, viola, cello).
• 2013–14 The Weaver's Knot for string quartet.

Solo Works

These pieces are written for just one instrument or one performer.

• 1992 Amulet for viola solo.
• 1997 Philtre for Hardanger fiddle solo (a special type of violin).
• 2007 Wild Winged–one for solo trumpet.
• 2011 Love Letter for any solo instrument.

Awards and Recognition

Liza Lim has received several important awards for her music.

APRA Classical Music Awards

The APRA Classical Music Awards celebrate great classical music in Australia.

Don Banks Music Award

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

Other Awards

• 1996: She received a fellowship from the Australia Council for the Arts.
• 1996: She was given the first-ever Young Australian Creative Fellowship.
• 2002: She won an APRA Classical Music Award for Best Composition.
• 2004: She won the Paul Lowin Award for her piece Ecstatic Architecture.
• 2023: She was made a Member of the Order of Australia for her important work as a music composer and teacher.
• 2024: She received an Australian Laureate Fellowship.

See also

In Spanish: Liza Lim para niños