Image: The Lilburn Trust. The late gay composer Douglas Lilburn will be inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame at the 2014 APRA Silver Scroll Awards in Wellington later this month. The honour is a tribute to those who have had a significant impact on New Zealand life and culture through music. “Douglas Lilburn occupied a pre-eminent position in New Zealand," says former Chief Executive of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Peter Walls. "His music, from the early nostalgic canzonas to his electro-acoustic images, has a strong emotional appeal. It acknowledges the richness of a predominantly European musical heritage while finding a distinctively New Zealand voice." Lilburn died in 2001, after a career spanning more than 50 years. His debut came iun the form of award-winning tone poem Forest in 1936, and he remained at the forefront of innovation in New Zealand classical music, with works are intrinsically bound to New Zealand’s surroundings and culture. He was also a respected teacher and kind benefactor. Lilburn will be inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame posthumously, as a part of the 2014 APRA Silver Scroll Awards.The award will join a list of accolades already collected by the composer, including an honorary doctorate of music from the University of Otago in 1969 and the Order of New Zealand, awarded in 1988. The New Zealand Music Hall of Fame was created in 2007, with the Topp Twins among previous inductees. The Silver Scroll Awards will be held at Wellington’s TSB Arena on Thursday 30 October.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 18th October 2014 - 10:11am