Mary Finsterer facts for kids

Mary Finsterer (photograph by Dean Golja)

Mary Finsterer is a talented Australian composer and teacher. She writes music for orchestras, films, and even operas! Her music has been performed all over the world.

About Mary Finsterer

Mary Finsterer was born in Canberra, Australia, in 1962. She loved music and studied it at the University of Melbourne, earning her first music degree in 1987. She continued her studies in Amsterdam and then back in Australia, completing a Master of Music degree in 1995. Later, she earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 2003.

In 2006, Mary received a special award called a Churchill Fellowship. This helped her continue her work in multimedia, which combines different types of media like music and video. Mary is married to the photographer Dean Golja.

Since 2007, Mary has created many important musical pieces. These include a large orchestral work called In Praise of Darkness and music for string instruments. Her orchestral fanfare Afmaeli was played at a big festival in Holland in 2009. In the same year, she won the Paul Lowin Orchestral Prize for In Praise of Darkness.

Mary Finsterer has also taught music and composition at many universities. These include the University of Sydney and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. She is currently a Creative Fellow at the University of Tasmania, where she works on big musical projects. Her music is enjoyed by audiences internationally.

Music for Films and More

Mary has composed music for films and special electronic music events. She even worked as an orchestrator for the 2007 film Die Hard 4.0. Her music for the 2010 film South Solitary was nominated for an award. This film score was later released on a CD.

Mary has also written two operas. Her first opera, Biographica, premiered in 2017 at the Sydney Festival. Her second opera, Antarctica, was first performed in Amsterdam in 2022 and then at the Sydney Festival in 2023.

Mary Finsterer's music is published by Schott Music. Her work Stabat Mater (from 2023) was nominated for two APRA|AMCOS Art Music Awards in 2024.

Awards and Recognitions

Mary Finsterer has received many awards for her amazing musical works. Here are some of them:

• Nominated for two APRA|AMCOS 2024 Art Music Awards.
• Composer-in-residence with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2023.
• APRA|AMCOS Art Music Award for Instrumental Work in 2019 for Ignis.
• APRA|AMCOS Art Music Award for Vocal Work in 2018 for Biographica.
• APRA|AMCOS Art Music Award for Instrumental Work in 2014 for Aerea.
• Paul Lowin Orchestral Prize in 2009 for In Praise of Darkness.
• Churchill Fellowship in 2006 for her work in the film industry.
• Australia Council Composer Fellowship in 1998.
• Royal Netherlands Government Award in 1993.
• Composer-in-residence with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1992.
• Albert H. Maggs Composition Award in 1990 for Catch.

Selected Musical Works

Here are some of Mary Finsterer's musical compositions: