Felix Werder (born Berlin, Germany 24 February 1922) is an Australian-based German composer of classical and electronic music; also a noted critic and educator. The son of a distinguished liturgical composer, he has composed all his life; he has an international reputation and is one of Australia's most performed composers. His published and recorded music includes symphonies, chamber music for all combinations, solo concerti, choral works and operas.[1]
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Werder studied Fine Arts and Architecture in London before arriving in Australia in 1940 on the HMT Dunera. He was interned at a camp in Tatura in Australia during World War II. In 1943, he wrote his first symphony. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Werder wrote seven operas which were popularly received. His opera, Private, was commissioned for television by ABC and was broadcast in 1969. He has also written works for Deutsche Oper Berlin and Opera Australia among others.[2]
Werder lives in Melbourne and his teaching included influential courses in electronic music and sound synthesis. He received the Order of Australia in 1976, the Stamitz Performance Prize (1984), the Australia Council Fellowship (1986), and the Arts Guild of Germany Composition Prize and the Stamitz Prize in 1988, and an honorary doctorate in Music from The University of Melbourne.
He formed the performance ensemble Australia Felix which toured Europe, and included Bruce Clarke, Merlyn Quaife, Brian Brown, Alex Grieve, Judy Easton, Tony Conolan, Kevin Makin and Peter Clinch.[3] For many years, during the 1960s and 1970s, he wrote music criticism for the Melbourne newspaper The Age.
The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA).[6] They include the Classical Music Awards which are distributed by APRA and the Australian Music Centre (AMC).[7]
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Werder | Long-Term Contribution to the Advancement of Australian Music[8] | Won |