The Australian World Orchestra (AWO) is a symphony orchestra based in Australia .
54-540: The Australian World Orchestra was established in 2011 by Australian conductor Alexander Briger and his sister, film maker Gabrielle Thompson . The inaugural patron of the orchestra was Sir Charles Mackerras , Briger and Thompson's uncle. The first concert in 2011, which was conducted by Briger, performed sold out in concerts in Sydney and Melbourne . The AWO also sold out in 2013 and 2015. Maestro Zubin Mehta conducted
108-561: A challenge to take the prime ministership in September 2015. Two months after coming into office, the new republican prime minister announced that the Queen had approved his request to amend the Order's letters patent and cease awards at this level. Existing titles would not be affected. The move was attacked by monarchists and praised by republicans. The amendments to the constitution of
162-589: A member of the British Empire, members of the colonies and later federated nation of Australia were able to have achievement awarded under the British Imperial Honours system . However, existing criticism of the aristocratic nature of the awards grew following a cash-for-honours corruption scandal in the UK in 1922. Moves to abolish the awards federally and the states were unsuccessful; however
216-843: A post-graduate degree in conducting. He won first prize at the International Competition for Conductors in the Czech Republic in 1993. He won the right to study under Pierre Boulez at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2000. He has since worked extensively with Boulez and with Sir Charles Mackerras. Boulez introduced Briger to Sir Simon Rattle , who invited him to conduct the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra . He and his family moved to London in 1998 and he now lives in Paris. In 2002 he filled in for
270-585: A representation of the states (with whom Whitlam's government was constantly in dispute) through the state badges within the Commonwealth Coat of Arms . The original three-level structure of the Order of Australia was modelled closely upon the Order of Canada , though the Order of Australia has been awarded rather more liberally, especially in regard to honorary awards to non-citizens. As of July 2024 only 30 non-Canadians have been appointed to
324-554: A single flower of mimosa . At the centre is a ring, representing the sea, with the word Australia below two branches of mimosa. The whole disc is topped by the Crown of St Edward . The AC badge is decorated with citrines , blue enamelled ring, and enamelled crown. The AO badge is similar, without the citrines. For the AM badge, only the crown is enamelled, and the OAM badge is plain. The AK/AD badge
378-564: Is a French mezzo-soprano, and they have one daughter, Charlotte. He has three daughters from a previous marriage, Claudia, Sofia and Scarlett. The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony held by the Australian Recording Industry Association . They commenced in 1987. Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It
432-434: Is a registered charity, whose stated purpose is "[t]o celebrate and promote outstanding Australian citizenship". It also supports the "community and social activities" of members and promotes and encourages the nomination of other Australians to the Order. The Order also runs a foundation that provides scholarships to tertiary students that show potential as future leaders and are involved in community activities. Branches of
486-473: Is issued with each badge of the order at the time of investiture; AK/AD and AC lapel pins feature a citrine central jewel, AO and AM lapel pins have a blue enamelled centre and OAM lapel pins are plain. The different levels of the order are awarded according to the recipients' levels of achievement: Since 1976 any Australian citizen may nominate any person for an Order of Australia award. People who are not Australian citizens may be awarded honorary membership of
540-563: Is likely to feel a bit second-rate, and the public is likely to agree. We hate to be the first to say it, but there is no doubt that the Order of Australia (OA) will be labelled as the Ocker Award. Satire and mockery also greeted the awards, being dubbed "Gough’s Gongs" and "the Order of the Wombat". The newly elected Liberal Fraser government decided to once again make recommendations for imperial awards, whilst maintaining and expanding
594-485: Is similar to that of the AC badge, but with the difference that it contains at the centre an enamelled disc bearing an image of the coat of arms of Australia . The colours of royal blue and gold are taken from the livery colours of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms , the then national colours . The star for knights and dames is a convex golden disc decorated with citrines, with a blue royally crowned inner disc bearing an image of
SECTION 10
#1732793065807648-488: The Australian Labor Party remained opposed and generally refused to recommend awards whilst in office, with this a part of the party's platform since 1918. This was confirmed in a resolution adopted unanimously by the party conference in 1921. However, the non-Labor parties remained supportive, with the long running Menzies government making significant use of the imperial system. The Order of Australia
702-767: The Bartók ballets The Miraculous Mandarin and The Wooden Prince ( Opéra national du Rhin ). The list of other orchestras Alexander Briger has conducted includes the London Symphony Orchestra , London Philharmonic Orchestra , Philharmonia Orchestra , BBC Symphony Orchestra , BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra , Royal Liverpool Philharmonic , Academy of St Martin in the Fields , London Sinfonietta , City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra , Birmingham Contemporary Music Group , Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra , Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra , Orchestra of
756-466: The Council for the Order of Australia . Members of the government are not involved in the recommendation of appointments, other than for military and honorary awards. The King of Australia is the sovereign head of the order, and the governor-general is the principal companion and chancellor of the order. The governor-general's official secretary , Paul Singer (appointed August 2018), is secretary of
810-749: The Glyndebourne Festival . In 2005 he made his debut with the Orchestre de Paris . Briger's work with Opera Australia includes Jenůfa , Madama Butterfly , Così fan tutte , The Cunning Little Vixen , The Marriage of Figaro , and Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream . He has also led La bohème and Carmen for the State Opera of South Australia . He conducted Don John of Austria , Australia's first opera, written by his great-great-great-great grandfather Isaac Nathan , in its first performance since Nathan's time. This
864-488: The Sydney , Melbourne , Adelaide , West Australian , Queensland and Tasmanian symphony orchestras. In 2010 he launched the Australian World Orchestra , a project to bring leading expatriate Australian orchestral players from around the world home to Australia to play together with the leading resident players in a single ensemble. In 2011 he conducted their award-winning inaugural season at
918-474: The 435 people who have received the nation's top Order of Australia honours since they were first awarded in 1975, shows they disproportionately attended a handful of elite Victorian secondary schools. Scotch College alumni received the highest number of awards, with 19 former students receiving Australia's [then] highest honour". On 26 January 1980 the Order of Australia Association was created as an incorporated body with membership open to award recipients. It
972-670: The AWO Chamber 8 completed their first Australian tour performing at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), City Recital Hall Sydney, Melbourne Recital Centre and, Perth Concert Hall . In 2018 Riccardo Muti conducted the AWO for performances at the Sydney Opera House and Arts Centre Melbourne , and invited the orchestra to tour his home country of Italy. Later in 2018 the AWO toured India, performing in Chennai as
1026-791: The AWO as an "international treasure". In 2016 Briger premiered the AWO's 5th anniversary commission by Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin The Witching Hour , A Concerto for Eight Double Basses at the Sydney Opera House and the Esplanade in Singapore . In 2017 Simone Young conducted the AWO in a side-by-side performance of Messiaen 's Turangalîla-Symphonie with the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) at Arts Centre Melbourne and
1080-522: The AWO in 2022 in Sydney and Melbourne in performances of Richard Strauss's tone poems (Limelight, 2022). After the conclusion of the AWO's performance at the Sydney Opera House, General David Hurley , Governor-General of Australia , awarded Mehta with an Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (Limelight, 2022). Alexander Briger is returning in November 2023 to conduct at Arts Centre Melbourne and
1134-1106: The Age of Enlightenment , Scottish Chamber Orchestra , Hanover Band , Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera , RTE Orchestra, Dublin , Orchestre de Paris , Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France , Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg , Ensemble InterContemporain , Paris Chamber Orchestra , Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra , Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse , Konzerthausorchester Berlin , Frankfurt Radio Orchestra , Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen , SWR Sinfonieorchester, Stuttgart , Nordwestdeutscherundfunk Orchester , Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra , Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra , Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra , Danish Symphony Orchestra , Belgium National Orchestra , Flemish Radio Symphony , Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg , Camerata Salzburg , Japanese Virtuoso Symphony Orchestra , Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra , Beijing Symphony Orchestra and Orquesta Nacional do Porto . In his native Australia he has conducted
SECTION 20
#17327930658071188-797: The Australian Arts Review expressed that "Briger has created an orchestral Rolls Royce . . ." The AWO travelled to the United Kingdom (UK) in August 2022, as part of Edinburgh's 75th anniversary celebrations, and the UK|AU cultural exchange, performing at the Edinburgh International Festival and the BBC Proms , conducted by Zubin Mehta, accompanied by Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg . Mehta conducted
1242-714: The House of the Dead ( Canadian Opera Company ), The Tales of Hoffmann ( Royal Danish Opera ), The Bartered Bride ( Royal Swedish Opera ), The Queen of Spades ( Komische Oper Berlin ), Nixon in China and I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky (Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris), I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky (Teatro dell’Opera di Roma), Katya Kabanova and The Magic Flute ( Toulon Opera ) and
1296-418: The Order of Australia and the award of 199 Honorary Medals of the Order of Australia. Notable honorary awards include: Since 1975, just over 30 per cent of recipients of an Order of Australia honour have been women. The number of nominations and awards for women is trending up, with the 2023 Australia Day Honours resulting in the highest percentage of awards for women to date (47.1 per cent, 47.9 per cent in
1350-597: The Order of Australia. This was done by with the addition of two additional award levels: Knight or Dame (AK or AD) above the level of Companion, and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) below Members. The Civil Division was also renamed the General Division, so that awards could be given to those in the Defence Force for non-military achievement. These changes were made on 24 May 1976. The reaction to
1404-486: The Order of Canada, while 537 non-Australians have been appointed to the Order of Australia, with 46 to the Companion level. Public reaction to the new awards was mixed. Only the state Labor governments of Tasmania and South Australia agreed to submit recommendations for the new awards, with the remaining governments affirming their committent to the existing imperial honours system. Newspaper editorials similarly praised
1458-498: The Order were gazetted on 22 December 2015. Yvonne Kenny AM represented the Order at the 2023 Coronation . King Charles III , when he was Prince of Wales , was appointed a Knight of the Order of Australia (AK) on 14 March 1981. As he is not an Australian citizen, even though he was the heir to the Australian throne at the time, this would have required the award to be honorary. To overcome this issue, his appointment
1512-594: The Order would be determined by the Council of the Order of Australia. Awards of the Order of Australia are sometimes made to people who are not citizens of Australia to honour extraordinary achievements. These achievements, or the people themselves, are not necessarily associated with Australia, although they often are. On 1 July 2024, the Australian Honours website listed appointments for 46 Honorary Companions, 118 Honorary Officers, 174 Honorary Members of
1566-441: The Queen to reinstate the level of knight or dame and the Queen co-signed letters patent to bring this into effect. The change was publicly announced on 25 March, and gazetted on 17 April 2014. Up to four knights or dames could be appointed each year, by the Queen of Australia on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the chairman of the Order of Australia Council. Five awards of knight and dame were then made, to
1620-493: The Sydney Opera House as the AWO will perform Mahler's 9th Symphony. Alexander Briger (Andrew) Alexander Briger AO (born 1969) is an Australian classical conductor. He is the nephew of the conductor Sir Charles Mackerras , and both are descended from the composer Isaac Nathan . Alexander Briger was born in Sydney and attended the Sydney Grammar School , where his uncle Alastair Mackerras
1674-524: The Sydney Opera House with Beethoven's 9th Symphony, which was subsequently released on Deutsche Grammophon. He is currently Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Australian World Orchestra. In 2016 Alexander Briger was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) "for services to the arts as a leading international conductor and founder of the AWO". Alexander Briger's premieres include: Briger's wife, Caroline Meng,
Australian World Orchestra - Misplaced Pages Continue
1728-511: The association are in all the states and territories of Australia as well as the UK and the USA. Total inductees as of July 2024 . The order of wearing Australian and other approved honours is determined by the government. The award is parodied in the play Amigos , where the central character is determined to be awarded the AC, and uses persuasion, bribery and blackmail in his (ultimately successful) attempts to get himself nominated for
1782-502: The award to Prince Philip in a ReachTEL poll. The Australian Labor Party continued to oppose knighthoods and damehoods. Leader of the opposition Bill Shorten stated in March 2014 that the party would again discontinue the level if it were to win the next Australian federal election. The knighthood decision was a significant factor that caused Liberal party members to question Abbott's leadership, with Malcolm Turnbull succeeding in
1836-411: The awards as an example of Australia's greater independence, whilst also noting that the awards would likely appear second-rate. The Australian stated that There is no longer a British Empire; everyone knows that. But somehow the phrase "imperial honours" still carries a ring of regal authenticity that somehow transcends nationalism. For the time being a recipient ... of the Order of Australia
1890-519: The changes to the awards were similarly split along party lines. Following the 1983 federal election , Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke recommitted to the end of recommendations for imperial awards. No knighthoods were awarded during his first term in office and he advised the abolition of the knight/dame level after being re-elected in 1986. During the time the division was active from 1976 to 1983, twelve knights and two dames were created. On 19 March 2014, monarchist prime minister Tony Abbott advised
1944-463: The coat of arms of Australia. The ribbon of the order is royal blue with a central stripe of mimosa blossoms. Awards in the military division are edged with 1.5 mm golden bands. AKs, male ACs and AOs wear their badges on a necklet and male AMs and OAMs wear them on a ribbon on the left chest. Women usually wear their badges on a bow on the left shoulder, although they may wear the same insignia as males if so desired. A gold lapel pin for daily wear
1998-463: The exception of awards recommended by the soon to be independent government of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea ); however this did not affect the constitutional right of state governments to recommend imperial awards. According to the governor general's then-secretary Sir David Smith , Whitlam was furious when he first saw Devlin's design for the insignia of the order, due to the inclusion of
2052-489: The general division). Advocacy groups such as Honour a Woman and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency have called for greater effort to be made to reach equal representation of men and women in the order. In December 2010, The Age reported a study of the educational backgrounds of all people who had received Knight/Dame and Companion level awards at that time. It reported: "An analysis of
2106-683: The governments of each respective state and territory, and three ex officio members (the chief of the Defence Force , the vice-president of the Federal Executive Council and a public servant responsible for honours policy). The Council chair as of August 2024 is Shelley Reys. The Council makes recommendations to the governor-general. Awards are announced on Australia Day and on the King's Birthday public holiday in June, on
2160-586: The governor-general to remove an individual from the order, who may cancel an award. Announcements of all awards, cancellations and resignations appear in the Commonwealth Gazette . Nomination forms are confidential and not covered by the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) . The reasoning behind a nomination being successful or unsuccessful—and even the attendees of the meetings where such nominations are discussed—remains confidential. As
2214-417: The occasion of a special announcement by the governor-general (usually honorary awards), and on the appointment of a new governor-general. The governor-general presents the order's insignia to new appointees. Appointments to the order may be made posthumously as long as a person was nominated for an award whilst they were still alive. Awardees may subsequently resign from the order, and the Council may advise
Australian World Orchestra - Misplaced Pages Continue
2268-637: The opening act of the Australian Government's 6 month festival of Australian Culture "OzFest" and additional concerts in Kochi (Kerala) and Mumbai under the baton of Briger and with guest soloists French mezzo-soprano Caroline Meng and the Australian born and educated Daniel Dodds, Artistic Director of the Lucerne Festival Strings . In 2019 Alexander Briger conducted the AWO for performances at Arts Centre Melbourne and for
2322-508: The orchestra in 2013, and returned to conduct again in 2015 when the AWO performed in three cities in India , with soprano Greta Bradman as guest soloist. Mehta is to return in 2022 to conduct the AWO in a performance of Strauss' works in Sydney and Melbourne. In 2015 the AWO brought Sir Simon Rattle to Australia to conduct the orchestra in concerts in Sydney and Melbourne with special guest mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená . Rattle has described
2376-624: The orchestra's first performance in Canberra at Llewellyn Hall . The AWO Chamber Six performed at City Recital Hall , Sydney. The AWO commissioned Australian composer and clarinetist Paul Dean to compose his Symphony No.1 Black Summer to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2021. Briger premiered the piece in 2021 in concerts at the Llewellyn Hall in Canberra, and City Recital Hall, Sydney. The performances garnered positive reviews, and
2430-674: The order at all levels. Nomination forms are submitted to the Director, Honours Secretariat, a position within the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia , at Government House, Canberra , which are then forwarded to the Council for the Order of Australia . The council consists of 19 members: seven selected by the prime minister (described as "community representatives"), eight appointed by
2484-448: The order. The order is divided into a general and a military division. The five levels of appointment to the order in descending order of seniority are: Honorary awards at all levels may be made to non-citizens. These awards are made additional to the quotas. The order's insignia was designed by Stuart Devlin . The badge of the Order of Australia is a convex disc (gold for AKs, ADs and ACs, gilt for AOs, AMs and OAMs) representing
2538-457: The outgoing governor-general , Quentin Bryce ; her successor, Peter Cosgrove ; a recent chief of the Defence Force , Angus Houston ; a recent governor of New South Wales , Marie Bashir ; and Prince Philip . This last award was widely met with ridicule and dismay by many in the Australian media. The award was also heavily criticised in the community, with 72% disapproving and 12% in favour of
2592-681: The prime minister alone, rather than by the Council of the Order of Australia, as is the case with all lower levels of the order. In accordance with the statutes of 2014, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , was created a Knight of the Order by letters patent signed by the Queen on 7 January 2015, on Abbott's advice. Prince Philip's knighthood was announced as part of the Australia Day Honours on 26 January 2015 and his appointment attracted criticism of what Abbott described as his "captain's call". Abbott responded by announcing that future recommendations for appointments as Knights and Dames of
2646-844: The scheduled conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra , who was taken ill. He also appeared at the BBC Proms and the Berlin Festival with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group that year. He was invited to take the London Philharmonic Orchestra on a tour of China in 2004. That same year he conducted Britten 's The Rape of Lucretia at Covent Garden , becoming only the fourth Australian to conduct there, after Mackerras, Richard Bonynge and Simone Young . He also conducted Mozart 's The Magic Flute at
2700-430: Was a concert performance in 1997, arranged by Sir Charles Mackerras (Nathan's great-great-great grandson). He has since recorded the work on CD. His overseas operatic work includes The Rape of Lucretia ( Royal Opera House, Covent Garden ), Rigoletto and The Makropulos Case ( English National Opera ), The Cunning Little Vixen ( Aix-en-Provence Festival ), The Magic Flute ( Glyndebourne Festival ), From
2754-447: Was created by an amendment to the constitution of the Order of Australia by special letters patent signed by the Queen, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser . In March 2014 the knight and dame levels, which had been abolished in 1986 by Prime Minister Bob Hawke , were reintroduced to the Order of Australia by Tony Abbott . At the same time, Abbott announced that future appointments at this level would be recommended by
SECTION 50
#17327930658072808-408: Was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II , Queen of Australia , on the advice of then prime minister Gough Whitlam . Before the establishment of the order, Australians could receive British honours , which continued to be issued in parallel until 1992. Appointments to the order are made by the governor-general , "with the approval of The Sovereign", according to recommendations made by
2862-498: Was established on 14 February 1975 by letters patent of Queen Elizabeth II , acting as Queen of Australia , and on the advice of the newly elected Labor prime minister , Gough Whitlam . The original order had three levels: Companion (AC), Officer (AO) and Member (AM) as well as two divisions: Civil Division and Military Division. Whitlam had previously announced in 1972 (on his third day in office) that his government would no longer nominate persons for British Imperial honours (with
2916-753: Was the headmaster. He had his first violin lessons there. He was inspired to become a conductor at age 12, when he saw another uncle, Sir Charles Mackerras , conduct the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Mahler 's Fourth Symphony . He left Grammar in 1987, then continued his violin studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music . In 1991 he went to the Richard Strauss Conservatorium in Munich to undertake
#806193