Moya Henderson facts for kids

Moya Patricia Henderson (born 2 August 1941) is a famous Australian composer. She was born in Quirindi, New South Wales.

Moya Henderson studied at the University of Queensland. In 1973, she became the Resident Composer for Opera Australia. This was during their very first season at the Sydney Opera House. Later, in the mid-1970s, she went to Germany. There, she studied how to compose music with Karlheinz Stockhausen. She also learned about music-theatre with Mauricio Kagel.

Her music includes many different types of pieces. For example, she wrote Sacred Site (1983) for organ and pre-recorded sounds. She also created The Dreaming for the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Another important work is "Six Urban Songs: The Patrick White Song Cycle" (1983). This was for a singer and an orchestra. She also wrote an opera called Lindy (1997). This opera was based on the disappearance of baby Azaria Chamberlain in 1980. The opera premiered at the Sydney Opera House in 2002.

Early Musical Journey

In 1973, Moya Henderson became the resident composer for Opera Australia. This was a big achievement. She then received scholarships to continue her music studies in Germany. She returned to Australia in late 1976.

She started teaching composition at the University of Sydney. In 1978, she became the resident composer in the Music Department. For three years, she helped students get excited about music-theatre. She encouraged them to create their own music-theatre pieces.

Amazing Compositions

Moya Henderson did not stick to just one type of music. Her works include many styles. She wrote chamber music, which is for small groups of instruments. She also composed instrumental music, vocal music, and choral music. She even created electronic music.

Some of her well-known pieces are 'Sorry time: cello solo' (1999). Another is 'The Beloved awaits: brass quintet' (2008). She also wrote 'Ku-ring-gai Chase: full orchestra' (1999). Other famous works include 'G'day USA 1: horn solo' (2003) and 'Yapu vudlandta: fate, clarinet, and piano' (2004).

Cool Inventions

In the mid-1970s, while in Germany, Moya Henderson invented new musical instruments. A sculptor asked her to compose music for a sculpture. This sculpture was made of twenty-seven triangles. While working on this, she developed the alemba. This is a keyboard percussion instrument.

She also invented the Tosca Bells. These are percussion instruments made of hollow metal tubes. When hit, they make a vibrating, bell-like sound. Moya Henderson also created a special technique called the 'noose'. This allows composers to write natural harmonics on stringed instruments. It works for almost every note in a string orchestra.

Awards and Recognition

Moya Henderson has won many awards. These awards are from both the music and theatre worlds. In 1974, she won the Kranichsteiner Prize. This was for the best composition in a music theatre piece.

In 1983, she won an inaugural CSIRO Artist-in Residence Fellowship. This was for her invention of the alemba instrument. In 1993, she received the Don Banks Music Award. She was also made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1996. This was for her great work as a composer.

Don Banks Music Award

The Don Banks Music Award was created in 1984. It honors a very important artist. This artist must have made a huge contribution to music in Australia. The Australia Council started this award. It is named after Don Banks, a famous Australian composer.

See also

In Spanish: Moya Henderson para niños