| Country | Australia |
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| Occupation | Teacher |
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| Categories | Classical |
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Mark Grandison was born in Adelaide in 1965. He entered the Elder Conservatorium at Adelaide University in 1983 and studied with Richard Meale. His first orchestral works were written for the National Orchestral Composers’ Schools of 1987 and 1988. In 1990 a Masters Degree in Composition was completed and a Graduate Diploma in Education. In 1991 Grandison began secondary music teaching, becoming Co-ordinator at Marryatville High Special Interest Music Centre in 1993, whilst continuing to write chiefly instrumental works.
Grandison moved to Sydney in 1994 to become Director of Music at Kambala, a leading Girls’ School in Rose Bay. This involvement in music education initiated a series of orchestral and band pieces for youth and community groups. In these works, the composer sought both to challenge and engage young and non-professional players by combining some of the idioms associated with contemporary art music with an accessibility and rhythmic energy found in traditional scores. Grandison has balanced this output by continuing to write more complex and technically demanding music for professional-level ensembles. The orchestral works Freefall and Fanfare Emergent won the 2001 and 2003 3MBS National Orchestral Composition Awards. In 2006 his Suite Bacchanal reached the final of the international symphonic band composition contest ‘Coups de Vent’, which has since led to European performances and publishing. Grandison has recently completed a Violin Concerto for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Grandison’s works have received numerous broadcasts on ABC-FM, the MBS-FM national network and Radio National. A wide range of professional and community ensembles have commissioned and performed his works, which have been performed in Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia, United States and Europe.
Mark Grandison’s involvement in music education initiated a series of orchestral and band pieces for youth and community groups. In these works, the composer sought engage young and non-professional players by combining idioms associated with contemporary art and popular music with those found in traditional scores.
Grandison has balanced this output by continuing to write more complex and technically demanding music for professional-level ensembles.
