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Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney
Skinner, Graeme

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Skinner, Graeme

Author

Graeme Skinner is a musicologist and writer

Alpen, Hugo as Author

Austral String Quartet as Author

Bishop, Anna as Author

Bochsa, Nicholas as Author

Bradley, Joseph as Author

Clutsam, George as Author

Collegium Musicum as Author

Deane, John Phillip as Author

Delany, John as Author

Ellard, Frederick as Author

Kelly, Frederick as Author

Lemmone, John as Author

McCormick, Peter as Author

Monk, Cyril as Author

Monk, Varney as Author

Nathan, Isaac as Author

Packer, Charles as Author

Paul, Mrs John as Author

Plummer, George as Author

Spagnoletti, Ernesto as Author

Truman, Ernest as Author

Wallace, William as Author

Worgan, George as Author

de Cairos-Rego, George as Author

de Cairos-Rego, Iris as Author

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Alpen, Hugo

Alpen influenced the musical culture of Sydney through his composition, teaching and conducting. As Superintendent of Music for New South Wales public schools, he emphasised singing and listening as part of music training for all students.

Austral String Quartet

Part of Sydney's musical scene before the beginning of World War I, the Austral String Quartet premiered new music from Australia and overseas.

Bishop, Anna

One of the first world-famous musicians to perform in Sydney, Anna Bishop had scandalised London by leaving her husband. Her lover Bochsa died suddenly in Sydney in early 1856, after their first concert, and Bishop left soon afterwards.

Bochsa, Nicholas

A visitor with a scandalous past, harpist Nicholas Bochsa gave only one concert in Sydney before his sudden death. He was buried in St Stephen's cemetery, Newtown.

Bradley, Joseph

A conductor and organist, Bradley was appointed conductor of Sydney's Royal Philharmonic Society in 1908, and also conducted the first Sydney Symphony Orchestra from 1908-14. He resigned from the Philharmonic Society in 1927 with failing sight, having conducted from memory for several years.

Clutsam, George

Despite being an expatriate for most of his life, George Clutsam composed much music inspired by Australia and his works were performed in Sydney.

Collegium Musicum

Playing both the latest music and the early music of the distant past, Collegium Musicum gathered round the cellist Carl Gotsch on his return from many years in the East Indies in 1937.

Deane, John Phillip

After a short term in prison for debt in Hobart, John Deane arrived in Sydney and soon became a popular performer and composer before returning to Hobart in 1844.

Delany, John

A musician who played, conducted and composed for theatre, concert hall and church, John Delany was called 'The Australian Gounod' and conducted, with others, the massed choir at the inauguration of the Commonwealth in Centennial Park in January 1901.

Ellard, Frederick

Though Frederick Ellard spent much of the 1840s in Melbourne and London, Sydney remained the base of his activities. His first published composition was The Sydney Corporation Quadrilles (1842) which, like most of his other works of the 1840s, was published by the Ellard family business. He also became one of the city's leading cellists and piano teachers, and, during the last 20 years of his life, a singing teacher.

Kelly, Frederick

Born in Sydney, Frederick Kelly lived almost all his life in Britain and even won a gold medal for rowing in the London Olympic Games. His acclaim in Sydney however arose from his solitary 1911 visit as composer and pianist.

Lemmone, John

Self taught on a tin whistle, John Lemmone became an internationally recognised flautist and concert promoter, with a long association with Dame Nellie Melba.

McCormick, Peter

School teacher and music director for the Presbyterian Church, Peter McCormick is little known in Sydney, although every Sydneysider knows his work. His song, 'Advance Australia Fair', was sung by a choir of 10,000 at the celebration of the inauguration of the Commonwealth in 1901, and was made Australia's national anthem in 1984, long after his death.

Monk, Cyril

Violinist Cyril Monk was a central part of Sydney's music scene from the 1910s until the 1950s, as a musician, teacher, composer and examiner.

Monk, Varney

Part of a musical circle in 1930s Sydney that hoped to create an Australian music, Varney Desmond (later Monk) built her work on Australian stories and musical motifs.

Nathan, Isaac

An associate of kings and poets in England, Isaac Nathan emigrated for financial reasons and became a founder of Sydney's musical culture.

Packer, Charles

Convict and musician, who came to Sydney after his pardon and became a well known organist, conductor and composer. After a further spell in gaol for bigamy, he resumed his career.

Paul, Mrs John

Perhaps Sydney's first composer, Mrs Paul produced a tune for William Wallace to play at his concert in 1836.

Plummer, George

Otherwise unknown, George Plummer owned the name 'Sydney Symphony Orchestra', until the ABC bought it from him in 1937. An earlier group by that name had formed in 1908 and gave performances until 1914.

Spagnoletti, Ernesto

Two musicians by the name of Ernesto Spagnoletti, father and son, were prominent in the musical life of Sydney in the 1850s.

Truman, Ernest

A musician and composer trained in Leipzig, Ernest Truman was City Organist for 26 years.

Wallace, William

Hailed as the 'Australian Paganini', William Wallace was a musical star in Sydney on his arrival in 1836, but left only two years later, in debt, for adventures elsewhere.

Worgan, George

Worgan brought the first piano to the colony in 1788, and left it with Elizabeth Macarthur when he returned to England. His journal recorded his impressions of the first six months of European settlement, and is now in the State Library of New South Wales.

de Cairos-Rego, George

Composer, administrator and critic, George de Cairos-Rego was an advocate of the establishment of the Sydney Conservatorium.

de Cairos-Rego, Iris

After training in Europe, child prodigy Iris de Cairos-Rego returned to Australia to a career as a musician and teacher.