Nigel Westlake Biography
Nigel Westlake (born 6 September 1958) is an Australian composer, musician and conductor. As a composer for the screen, his film credits include the feature films Ali's Wedding, Paper Planes, Miss Potter, Babe, Babe: Pig in the City, Children of the Revolution and The Nugget. He also composed the theme for SBS World News.
Biography
Westlake was born in Sydney, the son of Sydney Symphony Orchestra principal clarinettist Donald Westlake.
Westlake studied the clarinet with his father and subsequently left school early to pursue a performance career in music.
By the age of 17, Westlake was touring Australia and the world, performing as a freelance clarinetist, b* clarinetist and saxophonist with ballet companies, a circus troupe, chamber music ensembles, fusion bands and orchestras.
In 1983, Westlake studied b* clarinet and composition in the Netherlands and was appointed composer in residence for ABC Radio National in 1984.
From 1987 to 1992 Westlake was resident clarinettist with The Australia Ensemble, and went on to join guitarist John Williams' group Attacca.
In 2008, Westlake founded the Smugglers of Light Foundation in memory of his son Eli, to promote cultural awareness and empowerment through music and film in youth and Indigenous Australian communities.
Personal life
Westlake is married to Jan Loquet Westlake, and together, they had two sons. Their son Eli was killed in a road rage incident on 7 June 2008, at age 21. Westlake composed Missa Solis - Requiem for Eli and dedicated it to Eli. It was premiered by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the Myer Music Bowl in February 2011.
Filmography
- Candy Regentag (1989)
- Act of Necessity (1991)
- Antarctica (1991)
- Backsliding (1991)
- Babe (1995)
- Children of the Revolution (1996)
- Wild Australia: The Edge (1996)
- Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
- A Little Bit of Soul (1998)
- Solarmax (2000)
- The Nugget (2002)
- Horseplay (2003)
- Hell Has Harbour Views (2005)
- Miss Potter (2006)
- Stepfather of the Bride (2006)
- Paper Planes (2015)
- Ali's Wedding (and soundtrack) (2017)
- Blueback (2022)
Awards and nominations
- In 1985: Westlake won Jazz Action Society Composition Compe*ion.
- In 1988: Westlake won Gold Medal at the New York International Radio Festival.
- In 2004, Westlake was awarded the HC Coombs Creative Arts Fellowship at the Australian National University.
- In 2012, Westlake received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of New South Wales.
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards
- 2015 - AACTA Award Best Original Music Score - Paper Planes - nominated
- 2017 - AACTA Award Best Original Score - Ali's Wedding - nominated
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
APRA Awards
The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right *ociation to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards
- 2018 - Best Original Music - Ali's Wedding - Nominee
- 2016 - Best Music - Paper Planes - Nominee
- 1997 - Best Original Music - Babe - Won
International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA)
- 2007 - Best Original Score for a Comedy Film - Miss Potter
References
Further reading
- Barkl, Michael. 1997. Nigel Westlake. The Oxford Companion to Australian Music (ed. Warren Bebbington). Melbourne: OUP.
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to Nigel Westlake.- Nigel Westlake at IMDb
- Nigel Westlake discography at Discogs
- Rimshot Music
- Air-Edel *ociates