Leah Barclay has been recognised as one of the most promising Australian composers of her generation. Since graduating from the Queensland Conservatorium, she has performed, published and produced commissioned works across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe and India.
Her current work explores hybrid media and experimental sonic languages fusing the spontaneity of live performance with the infinite possibilities of technology. Reviews such as “innovation with veracity”, “dynamic originality” and “firing curiosity” have often been associated with her performances.
Her dynamic work has resulted in numerous awards, including the inaugural Premier of Queensland's National New Media Art Scholarship, Australia’s most prestigious prize for digital media art. She has studied with a range of international artists including Alcides Lanza and Yves Daoust in Montreal, Quebec, Stephen Leek and John Coulter in Australia and is currently completing her PhD under the supervision of Gerardo Dirie and Huib Schippers at Griffith University.
Barclay maintains a hectic touring schedule with future 2009 events confirmed in India, Australia, Turkey, Spain, Canada, USA and New Zealand. She will finish the year with a three month Asialink Residency at Art Centre Nabi in Soeul, South Korea where she will create a new work for intercultural ensemble and live electronics to premiere in December 2009.
Her current work explores hybrid media and experimental sonic languages fusing the spontaneity of live performance with the infinite possibilities of technology. Reviews such as “innovation with veracity”, “dynamic originality” and “firing curiosity” have often been associated with her performances.
Her dynamic work has resulted in numerous awards, including the inaugural Premier of Queensland's National New Media Art Scholarship, Australia’s most prestigious prize for digital media art. She has studied with a range of international artists including Alcides Lanza and Yves Daoust in Montreal, Quebec, Stephen Leek and John Coulter in Australia and is currently completing her PhD under the supervision of Gerardo Dirie and Huib Schippers at Griffith University.
Barclay maintains a hectic touring schedule with future 2009 events confirmed in India, Australia, Turkey, Spain, Canada, USA and New Zealand. She will finish the year with a three month Asialink Residency at Art Centre Nabi in Soeul, South Korea where she will create a new work for intercultural ensemble and live electronics to premiere in December 2009.
Extended Biography
Leah Barclay was born in Adelaide, South Australia and completed her undergraduate study at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane, Australia. She graduated with a first class Honours degree in Composition and was the recipient of many awards including the Griffith Award for academic excellence. In Australia she has studied with Stephen Leek, John Coulter and Gerardo Dirie and more recently alcides lanza and Yves Daoust in Montreal, Quebec.
Barclay’s work has been commissioned for a diversity of high profile events and her music has been performed by some of Australia’s most prominent ensembles and soloists. Her electroacoustic work and digital media installations have featured at major conferences and international festivals and she has worked on projects that span from the concert hall, film and theatre to interactive installations, live electronics and intermedia. Barclay’s hybrid works such as Confluence (2005), Everglades (2006) and Wolf Rock (2008) are strongly driven by environmental and political themes. Her work attempts to experiment with hybrid sonic languages fusing the spontaneity of live performance with the infinite possibilities of technology. Reviews such as “innovation with veracity”, “dynamic originality” and “firing curiosity” have often been associated with her performances.
She has completed international residencies at academies including Vijnana Kala Vedi (Aranmula, South India), Orford Arts Centre (Montreal, Quebec) and the first IRCAM Academy outside of Paris in 2008 (Glasgow, Scotland). Barclay has been a resident composer for ensembles such as the internationally renowned Australian Voices and has completed innovative commissions for major festivals including ‘Floating Land’ in a UNESCO listed Biosphere reserve in Australia. She has performed improvised works with acclaimed artists such as Richard Haynes and produced collaborative works with the likes of David Stavanger that have been published and distributed in Australia and the USA.
Barclay’s dynamic work has resulted in numerous grants and awards, including the inaugural Premier of Queensland's National New Media Art Scholarship, Australia’s most prestigious prize for digital media art. Her academic work has been published widely by prominent organisations such as The World Forum For Acoustic Ecology and she has presented at many of the worlds forums for electroacoustic music and digital media.
As a performer she is experienced on a number of instruments and her extensive travel has allowed her to study a diversity of music traditions. Her interest in the rhythmic innovation of carnatic music led her to India to study mridangam and carnatic singing. She returned to South India in 2008 to produce “Aranmula” a collaborative album with British artist Lucy Hudson, released on Triveni Records in 2009. She was awarded a JB Seed Grant in 2008 to continue studying mridangam, morsing and konnokol under Guru Subhash Kumar and T.S Sreenath and made her Arangettam (debut performance) in January 2009 with South Australian percussionist Tony Hole at the Vijnana Kala Vedi Cultural Centre.
Barclay’s work in India sparked the formation of the ‘Nada Laya’ ensemble; an innovative collective based in Kerala, South India featuring acclaimed musicians from India, Australia, France and England. The ensemble specialises in carnatic music and draws influence from jazz, western classical and electroacoustic music traditions. In addition to working as a composer and percussionist, Barclay co-produced their debut self-titled album released on Triveni Records. The ensemble performed at a series of festivals in India and has a national and international tour scheduled for 2010 and 2011.
In addition to her work as an artist, Barclay is regularly engaged as an educator, curator, producer and musicologist. Her dynamic energy and entrepreneurial flair has resulted in numerous business ventures to coincide with her creative practices. These include multiple educational programs that have been nominated for initiative awards and received acclaim for their innovation and founding companies that have contributed to the growth of the knowledge economy in regional areas. Throughout her position as the founding director of Zenith Studios she facilitated, produced and directed an array of hybrid artistic collaborations and events that have received wide recognition. Barclay’s increasingly hectic agenda includes a strong commitment to community cultural development, serving on a variety of committees for local, national and international arts organisations including her position as Chair of the Noosa Biosphere Ltd. Cultural Board.
Barclay is currently engaged in a diversity of ventures with future events confirmed in India, Australia, Turkey, Spain, Canada, USA and New Zealand. She is completing her PhD in composition under Gerardo Dirie and Huib Schippers and resides between Brisbane, Australia and Kerala, South India where she continues to study carnatic percussion with Guru Subhash Kumar. In 2009 her residencies include Sound Fabrika Studios in Istanbul, Turkey and the 2009 Asialink Performing Artist Residency at the Art Centre Nabi in Seoul, South Korea where she will create a new work for intercultural ensemble and live electronics to premiere in December 2009. Barclay’s music is published by Elation Studios and in addition to a string of commissions, she is currently working on her new solo project “Akasha” which will be released internationally in 2010.
Barclay’s work has been commissioned for a diversity of high profile events and her music has been performed by some of Australia’s most prominent ensembles and soloists. Her electroacoustic work and digital media installations have featured at major conferences and international festivals and she has worked on projects that span from the concert hall, film and theatre to interactive installations, live electronics and intermedia. Barclay’s hybrid works such as Confluence (2005), Everglades (2006) and Wolf Rock (2008) are strongly driven by environmental and political themes. Her work attempts to experiment with hybrid sonic languages fusing the spontaneity of live performance with the infinite possibilities of technology. Reviews such as “innovation with veracity”, “dynamic originality” and “firing curiosity” have often been associated with her performances.
She has completed international residencies at academies including Vijnana Kala Vedi (Aranmula, South India), Orford Arts Centre (Montreal, Quebec) and the first IRCAM Academy outside of Paris in 2008 (Glasgow, Scotland). Barclay has been a resident composer for ensembles such as the internationally renowned Australian Voices and has completed innovative commissions for major festivals including ‘Floating Land’ in a UNESCO listed Biosphere reserve in Australia. She has performed improvised works with acclaimed artists such as Richard Haynes and produced collaborative works with the likes of David Stavanger that have been published and distributed in Australia and the USA.
Barclay’s dynamic work has resulted in numerous grants and awards, including the inaugural Premier of Queensland's National New Media Art Scholarship, Australia’s most prestigious prize for digital media art. Her academic work has been published widely by prominent organisations such as The World Forum For Acoustic Ecology and she has presented at many of the worlds forums for electroacoustic music and digital media.
As a performer she is experienced on a number of instruments and her extensive travel has allowed her to study a diversity of music traditions. Her interest in the rhythmic innovation of carnatic music led her to India to study mridangam and carnatic singing. She returned to South India in 2008 to produce “Aranmula” a collaborative album with British artist Lucy Hudson, released on Triveni Records in 2009. She was awarded a JB Seed Grant in 2008 to continue studying mridangam, morsing and konnokol under Guru Subhash Kumar and T.S Sreenath and made her Arangettam (debut performance) in January 2009 with South Australian percussionist Tony Hole at the Vijnana Kala Vedi Cultural Centre.
Barclay’s work in India sparked the formation of the ‘Nada Laya’ ensemble; an innovative collective based in Kerala, South India featuring acclaimed musicians from India, Australia, France and England. The ensemble specialises in carnatic music and draws influence from jazz, western classical and electroacoustic music traditions. In addition to working as a composer and percussionist, Barclay co-produced their debut self-titled album released on Triveni Records. The ensemble performed at a series of festivals in India and has a national and international tour scheduled for 2010 and 2011.
In addition to her work as an artist, Barclay is regularly engaged as an educator, curator, producer and musicologist. Her dynamic energy and entrepreneurial flair has resulted in numerous business ventures to coincide with her creative practices. These include multiple educational programs that have been nominated for initiative awards and received acclaim for their innovation and founding companies that have contributed to the growth of the knowledge economy in regional areas. Throughout her position as the founding director of Zenith Studios she facilitated, produced and directed an array of hybrid artistic collaborations and events that have received wide recognition. Barclay’s increasingly hectic agenda includes a strong commitment to community cultural development, serving on a variety of committees for local, national and international arts organisations including her position as Chair of the Noosa Biosphere Ltd. Cultural Board.
Barclay is currently engaged in a diversity of ventures with future events confirmed in India, Australia, Turkey, Spain, Canada, USA and New Zealand. She is completing her PhD in composition under Gerardo Dirie and Huib Schippers and resides between Brisbane, Australia and Kerala, South India where she continues to study carnatic percussion with Guru Subhash Kumar. In 2009 her residencies include Sound Fabrika Studios in Istanbul, Turkey and the 2009 Asialink Performing Artist Residency at the Art Centre Nabi in Seoul, South Korea where she will create a new work for intercultural ensemble and live electronics to premiere in December 2009. Barclay’s music is published by Elation Studios and in addition to a string of commissions, she is currently working on her new solo project “Akasha” which will be released internationally in 2010.