William Barton (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Barton
Barton in 2018
Born	Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia
Occupation	Musician, didgeridoo player

William Barton is an amazing Aboriginal Australian musician and composer. He is famous for playing the didgeridoo (also called a yidaki), especially with big classical orchestras.

Early Life and Learning Music

William Barton was born in Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia. His family comes from the Roper River area, and he is a Kalkadunga man.

He started learning to play the didgeridoo when he was just 11 years old. His teacher was Uncle Arthur Peterson, an elder from the Wannyi, Lardil, and Kalkadunga peoples of Western Queensland.

William's Musical Journey

William began performing when he was very young. By age 12, he was playing for Aboriginal dance groups in Sydney. When he was 15, he even toured America! After that, he decided he wanted to be a solo artist, not just a backing musician. He started to learn about many different kinds of music.

In 1998, William made his big classical music debut with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. He became Australia's first didgeridoo artist to work closely with a symphony orchestra. When he was 17, William moved to Brisbane and became a soloist with several classical orchestras.

William says that the yidaki (didgeridoo) is very special. He explains that it comes from a tree and represents the "breath of life" and the land. He believes the instrument holds memories and the breath of his ancestors. William also wants to "take the oldest culture in the world and blend it with Europe's rich musical legacy." This means he wants to mix ancient Aboriginal music with classical European styles.

Amazing Performances

William Barton has played his music at festivals all over the world. He has also recorded many pieces with orchestras.

• In 2004, he played in a big musical work called Requiem by Peter Sculthorpe. It was the first time a didgeridoo was part of a full symphony orchestra piece!
• He performed at the 90th and 100th anniversaries of Gallipoli at ANZAC Cove in Turkey.
• In 2005, he played with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in London.
• He has worked with many orchestras, choirs, and composers in Australia, America, and Europe. They create new music for the didgeridoo.
• In 2014, William played at the memorial service for former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in Sydney.
• In 2019, he performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the memorial service for former Prime Minister Bob Hawke. He played an orchestral version of the famous song "Down Under".
• In 2023, William performed at the AFL Grand Final, which is a huge sporting event in Australia.

On TV and Radio

William Barton has appeared on television and radio shows.

• In 2007, he was featured on the ABC TV program Australian Story.
• In 2011, he performed and was interviewed on The Music Show with poet Samuel Wagan Watson.

Awards and Recognition

William Barton has received many important awards for his music.

• In November 2022, he was named Queensland Australian of the Year.
• In 2023, he became the first Indigenous artist to receive the Richard Gill Award. This award celebrates someone who has made a great contribution to Australian music.
• He won the Freedman Fellowship for Classical Music in 2004.
• He also won the Brisbane Lord Mayor's Young and Emerging Artists' Fellowship in 2004.

Music Awards

William Barton has won and been nominated for many music awards, including:

• AIR Awards: In 2023, his album Heartland (with Véronique Serret) won Best Independent Classical Album or EP.
• APRA Music Awards: In 2022, his song "Spirit Voice of the Enchanted Waters" won Best Original Song Composed for the Screen.
• ARIA Music Awards:

* In 2012, his album Kalkadungu won Best Classical Album. * In 2022, his album History Has a Heartbeat (with Joseph Tawadros) won Best World Music Album.

• Art Music Awards: In 2023, he received the Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music.
• Don Banks Music Award: In 2021, he won this award, which honors a senior artist who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia.
• Queensland Music Awards: In 2023, his song "Kalkani" won the Indigenous Award.

Music Albums

William Barton has released many albums. Here are some of them:

• Songs of Sky and Sea (2004)
• The Journey (2004)
• Ancient Souls, Ancient Land (2007)
• Kalkadungu - Music for Didjeridu And Orchestra (2012)
• Birdsong at Dusk (2014)
• Heartland (2022)
• History Has a Heartbeat (2022)