Announcing the winner of the 2018 Pythia Prize!

After a record number of exciting applications, we’re extremely proud to announce that the winner of the 2018 Pythia Prize is Christine McCombe! 

Christine is a diverse composer who has worked across a variety of mediums. Composition prizes and awards include the The Dorian Le Gallienne Composition Award, The Lyrebird Music Society A.N.A. Prize for Composition, a Keith and Elizabeth Murdoch Fellowship (VCA), a student bursary from the Centre Acanthes (France) and a Bundanon Artists Trust Residency.   She has been commissioned by The Australia Ensemble, Musica Viva Australia, The Australian Chamber Choir, The Society for the Promotion of New Music (UK), Artisan Trio (UK) and Plexus Collective (Australia).

Christine’s musical influences include Bach, Messiaen and PJ Harvey.  Her work covers a range of styles from chamber music to electroacoustic composition and video.  Her work has been performed by leading ensembles and soloists, both in Australia and Internationally, including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, soloists from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Vienna Piano Trio, Topology Ensemble and the Australia Ensemble. 

Her music appears in CD collections by performers including Michael Kieran Harvey (Australian Piano Miniatures, ABC Classic FM), The Dunedin Consort (The People’s Mass, Delphian Records UK) and Ian Holtham (Giants in the Land, Move Records).  Her new CD of chamber music, three kinds of silence, was released by Tall Poppies Records in 2018.

Congratulations Christine! We cannot wait to start creating with you! 🍾