Richard Gill Biography
Richard Gill Bio |
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| Richard Gill (Richard James Gill) was an Australian music conductor, teacher and music advocate born on 4th November 1941 in Sydney. He died on 28th October 2018 of cancer. he was the founding conductor of the Strathfield Symphony Orchestra. He was the founding artistic director of the Victorian Opera and former artistic director and chief conductor of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. | |
| Richard Gill Age | 76 years |
| Richard Gill Birthday | 20th January 1974 |
| Richard Gill Died | 28th October 2018 |
| Richard Gill Cause of Death | colorectal and peritoneal cancer. |
| Richard Gill Wife | Maureen Gill |
| Richard Gill Children | Claire, Anthony |
| Richard Gill Grandchildren | Camille, Elise, and Antoinette. |
Richard Gill Career
Richard began his career as a music teacher at Marsden High School, West Ryde, in Sydney. He was the founding conductor of the Strathfield Symphony Orchestra in Sydney in 1969. He later joined Orff Institute of the Mozarteum in Salzburg in 1971 where he was later invited to teach the summer school.
From 1975 to 1982 he was a staff at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In 1977 he joined Sydney Youth Orchestra as a conductor a position he held until 1982, conducting the flagship orchestra touring Singapore & Hong Kong in 1981.
He worked with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s National Youth Orchestra (NYO) in January 2009 on the NYO’s 50th-anniversary celebrations in their National Music Camp in Napier, New Zealand
His other positions include;
- 1985 – 1990: Dean of the Western Australian Conservatorium of Music
- 1990 – 1996: Director of Chorus at the Opera Australia
- 2005 – 2018: Music director of a Melbourne-based Victorian Opera.
- 2013: He co-founded Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra (formerly ‘orchestra seventeen88’) together with Rachael Beesley and Nicole van Bruggen
- 2014: Musical Director of the Sydney Chamber Choir.
Richard Gill Awards and Achievements
- 1994: Order of Australia medal
- 2001: Central Medal
- Bernard Heinze Award for services to music in Australia
- Honorary Doctorate from Edith Cowan University of Western Australia for his service to Australian music and musicians.
- 2001: Australian Music Centre’s award for ‘Most Distinguished Contribution to the Presentation of Australian Composition by an Individual’.
- December 2005: Don Banks Music Award 2006 by the Australia Council for the Arts.
- July 2018: MOST Achievement Award “in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the Arts in Australia as both a conductor and as a music educator”.
- July 2018: The Arts Leadership Award at the 2018 Creative Partnerships Awards
Richard Gill Cancer/ Cause of Death
Richard was battling bowel and peritoneal cancer for a year before his tragic death
Richard Gill Death
On 28th October 2018 Richard Gill died at the age of 76, The Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra confirmed his death in a statement
Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra announces with great sadness the death of our beloved Artistic Director, Richard Gill AO. Richard died this morning, Sunday 28 October at 5am in his home in Sydney surrounded by his loving family.https://t.co/wFRt2oJnVF
— Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra (@AusRomClassOrch) October 27, 2018
People took to Twitter to mourn him
ARIA would like to pay its respects to Conductor and music educator Richard Gill, who has passed away, aged 76. We send our condolences to his family, friends and fans. pic.twitter.com/rVtxoWGqac
— ARIA (@ARIA_Official) October 27, 2018
Australia has lost a truly magnificent human being this morning. You’d be hard pressed to name anybody who has done more for public music education in this country. A brilliant teacher, delightful person, force of nature, absolute legend. Vale. https://t.co/T4LUGLoYdr
— Leigh Sales (@leighsales) October 27, 2018
Gerard Willems who is a pianist posted his tribute on Facebook
“Dear Richard, I don’t know what to say. I knew you were not well. But even so, I feel so shocked and sad that now you have gone … What a great life! We will miss you greatly. Rest in Peace, dear friend. The music will never stop.”
