Asst/Prof Christopher Tonkin

Assistant Professor
Academic Staff (Music)

Contact details

Address

Academic Staff (Music)
The University of Western Australia (M413)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

6488 1546

Email

christopher.tonkin@uwa.edu.au

Qualifications

BMus W.Aust., MusA Hous., PhD UCSD

Biography

Chris Tonkin was born in Perth, Western Australia. He holds degrees in composition from the University of Western Australia, Rice University (Houston, Texas) and a Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego. In 2004/2005, he spent a year at the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM) in Paris, and has since focused on interactive pieces for live performers and computer, developing several works in following years at the Centre for Research in Computing in the Arts in San Diego, California.

He has received grants from the Australia Council, the Australasian Performing Rights Association and the Ian Potter Foundation, and commissions and performances from the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne (Canada, 2002), Fondation Royaumont (France, 2003), IRCAM (France, 2005), Ensemble Offspring (Sydney, 2005, 2008), the Seoul International Computer Music Festival (South Korea, 2006), the Australasian Computer Music Association (Sydney, 2008), and the Percussive Arts Festival (Texas, USA, 2008).

In January 2008, Chris returned to Australia to take up a position at the School of Music at UWA as lecturer and Head of Composition Studies and Music Technology. His scores and recordings are held at the Australian Music Centre in Sydney.

Key research

Music composition; interactive computer music

Publications

(1999) 'Three Piano Pieces' (solo piano); Score, Australian Music Centre
(2001) 'Widdop, Phaetons, Relic' (violin, piano, percussion); Score, Australian Music Centre
(2001) 'Abitus' (soprano and chamber ensemble); Score, Australian Music Centre
(2002) 'Relic' (chamber orchestra); Score, Australian Music Centre
(2003) 'Point-Counterpoint' (chamber orchestra); CD Recording, ATMA Classique
(2005) 'IN'; bass drum and live electronics
(2009) 'Headspaces' (cello and live electronics); Score and CD ROM, Australian Music Centre (upcoming)
(2009) 'Vocalise' (djembé and live electronics); Score and CD ROM, Australian Music Centre (upcoming)

Honours and awards

• 2000 ICMC International Composition Competition - first prize for piano pieces "Canopy, Stasis, Ethereal".
• 2002 Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Forum 2002 - Jury Prize for "Point-Counterpoint"
• 2004 APRA Professional Development Award - Classical Music Category
• 2004 Australian Council for the Arts - Skills and Arts Development Grant
• 2004 Ian Potter Cultural Trust Grant

Teaching

Undergraduate composition; supervising 2 Masters students and 1 DMA student in composition; computer music composition

Current projects

New chamber piece for Ensemble Offspring (Sydney); chamber opera for live performers, real-time computer sound processing, video, and multichannel sound projection, projected premiere in 2011

Research profile

Research profile and publications