Conductor Nicolette Fraillon AM awarded 2023 Bernard Heinze Memorial Award

Australian conductor Nicolette Fraillon AM has been awarded the 2023 Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award, at an Australian Ballet performance of Identity at Arts Centre Melbourne on 20 June.

The Award, established by the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, is presented each year to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia.

It honours the memory of Sir Bernard Heinze (1894 – 1982), a pioneer of orchestral life in Australia, who was Ormond Professor of Music at the University of Melbourne for over 30 years.

Nicolette Fraillon is a conductor whose leadership and artistry has profoundly influenced the classical music landscape in Australia.

Having first completed undergraduate studies in music at the University of Melbourne, Fraillon pursued further study in Vienna and Hanover and in her early career, worked as a violist in orchestras and chamber music ensembles across Europe.

In 1992 Fraillon was a winner in the renowned Kirill Kondrashin Masterclass/Competition in the Netherlands, which led to her appointment as Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Dutch National Ballet, and work with many other companies across Europe, including the Finnish National Ballet, the Residentie Orchestra in The Hague, and the Noord Nederlands Orchestra.

Working with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in 1995, she became the first Australian woman to conduct an Australian symphony orchestra.

In 1998 Fraillon returned to Australia to take up the position of Director of the Canberra School of Music at the Australian National University.

In 2003 she was appointed The Australian Ballet’s Music Director and Chief Conductor. She was the company’s first female Music Director, and for a large part of her 20-year tenure there, remained the only female Music Director and Chief Conductor of a ballet company anywhere in the world and one of Australia’s longest serving Chief Conductors for any arts organisation.

During her tenure at The Australian Ballet, Fraillon was responsible for commissioning many significant new works by Australian composers and the development of new compositional voices through the Bodytorque program. Fraillon served as juror for composition prizes for the Australian Music Centre, the Ian Potter Foundation and on the Melbourne Prize for Music. She has worked with all the professional orchestras in Australia.

Outside of her work with the Australian Ballet Company, Fraillon continued to conduct internationally with companies including the New York City Ballet, The San Francisco Ballet, and The Birmingham Royal Ballet. She became Artistic Director of Orchestra Victoria after its integration into The Australian Ballet in 2014, establishing regional music festivals in Victoria and concert series in Melbourne.

She has also proven her commitment to the education of younger generations of musicians, through her work at the ANU, the education programs of Orchestra Victoria, and with numerous youth orchestras across the world. In Australia she has worked with university and conservatorium orchestras across the country and with the Australian Youth Orchestra. She has instigated training programs for aspiring young conductors, composers and repetiteurs.

In presenting the award, Ormond Chair of Music at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Professor Gary McPherson, said:

“Nicolette Fraillon's musical journey is a testament to her unparalleled dedication, artistry, and unwavering pursuit of excellence. Her transformative interpretations, technical precision, and commitment to education have left an indelible impact on the classical music community. As she continues to inspire audiences and shape the future of the art form, Nicolette Fraillon's legacy as a visionary conductor and mentor will undoubtedly endure for generations to come.”

The Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award medallion, crafted from an original cast for each recipient, is made by sculptor Michael Meszaros.

Our congratulations to Nicolette Fraillon on this wonderful acknowledgement of her extraordinary achievements.