Australian Composer Nigel Butterley Has Died, Aged 86

Australian composer Nigel Butterley, who alongside Peter Sculthorpe and Richard Meale, was at the forefront of Sydney's new music scene in the second half of the twentieth century.

Born in Sydney in 1935, Butterley received his big break as a composer after spending a period of time studying with the South African composer Priaulx Rainer, who had herself studied with Nadia Boulanger. Butterley's study with Rainer yielded his first major work "Laudes," a chamber work for 11 instruments in 1964. As with many of the works that followed, the piece reflected on Butterley's strong family background in the Anglican church.

Influenced by composers such as Messiaen, Cage, Tippett, and Gubaidulina, Butterley's work was part of Australian music's shift from Anglo-influenced pastoralism to a more Continental, postmodern style. He drew particularly from the principles established by John Cage and gave the Australian premiere of Cage's "Sonatas and Interludes" for prepared piano.

Alongside his work as a composer, between 1953 and 1973, Butterley was also the lead planner for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's orchestral and radio programs. Alongside the opportunity to promote the music of other Australian composers, the post allowed Butterley plenty of performance and recording opportunities for his own work, and many of his most well-known pieces were written during this stint.

Butterley taught at the Newcastle Conservatorium from 1973 until 1991, rising to the rank of Senior Lecturer. The institution awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1996, by which time he was ensconced in various community-focused pursuits such as freelancing with various radio programs and working with student composers. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1991.

Our condolences to Butterley's family, friends, and colleagues.

You can hear a recording of the composer's 1973 work "Fire in the Heavens," which was originally premiered by the Cleveland Orchestra and Lorin Maazel, below.