Nicholas Vines (b.1976, Sydney) is an Australian composer particularly active at home and in the US. Described as “exquisite” (Gramophone), "riveting" (The New York Times), “arresting” (The Boston Globe), “compellingly original” (Boston Phoenix), “full, extravagant and wild” (Sydney Morning Herald), and “edgy, bright and entertaining as hell” (NewMusicBox), his music has been performed in Australia, North America, the UK, Europe, China and Japan. Interpreters of his work range from high school students to specialist new music ensembles.
Vines' compositions have received prizes from the US, UK and Poland, as well as Australian honours such as APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards. His music is published by Faber Music, Wirripang and the Australian Music Centre. From 2007 to 2021, he ran the New Works Program for New England Conservatory’s Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice. In July 2018, Hipster Zombies from Mars, a compilation of Vines’ piano music performed by Ryan MacEvoy McCullough, came out on Navona Records. Since going live, it has been streamed on Spotify a respectable 20 000 times. He also has two earlier releases with Navona, Loose, Wet, Perforated and Torrid Nature Scenes, hailed respectively as “dazzling“ (Gramophone) and “damn good” (Limelight Magazine).
At the University of Sydney, Vines studied with the likes of Peter Sculthorpe, receiving a BMus, MMus and the university medal. He completed the PhD programme in composition at Harvard University in 2007, having been awarded the Sir Robert Gordon Menzies Scholarship, as well as various Harvard fellowships. More recently, he completed a Graduate Diploma in Education at the University of New England. Formerly a lecturer in music at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Vines has also worked at Wellesley College, the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales and the Australian International Conservatorium. He is currently Senior Master of Academic Extension (Music) at Sydney Grammar School.
Long Bio CV
