Sculthorpe, Peter (1929-2014), an Australian composer, became known for the nationalism of his music. Many of Sculthorpe’s compositions were inspired by Australian Aboriginal legends and sacred places, such as The Song of Tailitnama (1974). Sculthorpe’s Mangrove (1979) is an orchestral work that pays tribute to Australian mangrove tidal flats. His String Quartet No. 4 (1998) reflects his memories of Tasmanian stories and landmarks.
Sculthorpe gained international attention for his Sun Music series, a group of orchestral works composed from 1965 to 1969 and again in 1984. Sun Music II (1969) expresses the composer’s fascination with the music of Bali, which influenced several of his other works. Some of the pieces in the series were adapted into a ballet score in 1968. His Irkanda IV (1961) for solo violin, strings, and percussion, and his String Quartet No. 6 (1965) have been widely performed. His later works include Child of Australia (1988) for orchestra and voices, and two works for chamber orchestra, Port Arthur (1996) and Shining Island (2011).
Peter Joshua Sculthorpe was born on April 29, 1929, in Launceston, Tasmania. He studied at the Melbourne University Conservatory of Music and later at Oxford University in England from 1958 to 1960. He taught composition at the University of Sydney from 1963 to 1999. Sculthorpe was named Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1977. He died on Aug. 8, 2014.
