Indigenous composer scores top classical gong

Dr Christopher Sainsbury. Photo: Stuart Hay/ ANU - Composer Dr Christopher Sainsbury has picked up the inaugural National Luminary Award at the 2020 Art Music Awards - scooping one of classical music's top honours. The accomplished composer, who is a descendant of Australia's first settled Indigenous people, the Dharug, has worked in Aboriginal education for over three decades. Dr Sainsbury, who lectures at The Australian National University (ANU), was recognised on Tuesday night for founding and driving the "critically important" Ngarra-Burria: First Nations Composers program.  "The Ngarra-Burria program has managed to show that Indigenous composers are there," Dr Sainsbury said.  "Indigenous composers have been on the periphery for years, and thankfully, through the program, the industry has really jumped forward, stepped up, and to their credit have effectively said; 'wow we've been waiting for this'."   The judging panel said Dr Sainsbury's work over the past five years has had "a national impact in both training emerging First Nations composers and redefining their role and future within Australian art music". Dr Sainsbury said the Ngarra-Burria program has been an industry "culture shift", and significantly it is Indigenous-led. "I'm really pleased that this award will lift again the profile of Indigenous composers, or as we call it, the Indigenous voice being expressed through classical music and jazz music and art music more broadly," Dr Sainsbury said. Composers in the program include Troy Russell, Brenda Gifford, Nardi Simpson and James Henry to name a few.