7 December 2018
Icebreaker Aurora Australis honoured with a symphony
© Australian Antarctic Division
Composer and conductor Gordon Hamilton is writing a symphony to celebrate Australia's Antarctic icebreaker, RSV Aurora Australis, for performance by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the London Mozart Players. Hamilton is currently onboard Aurora Australis, with the intention of recording the sounds of the ship, its engines and the ice for his work. The work-in-progress will also feature ambient noise of wildlife and wind from the Casey station in the Antarctic.
Aurora Australis was launched in Newcastle in September 1989 and undertook its first voyage with the Australian Antarctic Program to Heard Island in 1990. As a 6-year-old boy, Hamilton was present at the ship's launch.
'It's a privilege to be able to pay homage to this iconic ship ahead of its retirement from the Australian Antarctic Program', the composer said.
Australia's new icebreaker, RSV Nuyina, is due to arrive in Hobart in 2020.
Further links
Gordon Hamilton - AMC profile
Australian Antarctic Division (www.antarctica.gov.au)
© Australian Music Centre (2018) — Permission must be obtained from the AMC if you wish to reproduce this article either online or in print.
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