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Simone Young

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Simone Young
AM
Young in 2010
Born
Simone Margaret Young

(1961-03-02) 2 March 1961 (age 63)
Sydney, Australia
EducationSydney Conservatorium of Music
OccupationConductor
Organizations
Awards

Simone Margaret Young AM (born 2 March 1961) is an Australian conductor and academic teacher. She is currently chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Biography and career

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Young was born in Sydney, of Irish ancestry on her father's side and Croatian ancestry on her mother's.[1] Young was educated at the Monte Sant'Angelo Mercy College in North Sydney. She studied composition, piano and conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Commencing in 1983, Young worked at Opera Australia as a répétiteur under various conductors, including Charles Mackerras, Richard Bonynge, Carlo Felice Cillario and Stuart Challender. Young started her operatic conducting career at the Sydney Opera House in 1985. In 1986 she was the first woman and youngest person to be appointed a resident conductor with Opera Australia. She received an Australia Council grant to study overseas, and was named Young Australian of the Year.[2] In her early years, she was assistant to James Conlon, and Kapellmeister, at the Cologne Opera, and assistant to Daniel Barenboim at the Berlin State Opera and the Bayreuth Festival. From 1998 until 2002, Young was principal conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway.

From 2001 to 2003, Young was chief conductor of Opera Australia in Sydney. Her contract was not renewed after 2003, with one given reason being the excessive expense of her programming ideas.[3]

Young made her first conducting appearance at the Hamburg State Opera in 1996. In May 2003, she was named both chief executive of the Hamburg State Opera and chief conductor of the Philharmoniker Hamburg, posts which she assumed in 2005.[4] In 2006, she became Professor of Music and Theatre at the University of Hamburg. Critics of the magazine Opernwelt selected her in October 2006 as the Dirigentin des Jahres (Conductor of the Year). In December 2011, it was announced that Young would conclude her tenures with both the Hamburg State Opera and the Hamburg Philharmonic after the 2014/2015 season.[5]

Young was the first female conductor at the Vienna State Opera in 1993.[4] She conducted the Sydney Symphony Orchestra when they performed Elena Kats-Chernin's "Deep Sea Dreaming" at the 2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Sydney.[6] In November 2005, she was the first female conductor to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic.[7] Her discography includes the complete symphonies of Anton Bruckner and the complete Ring Cycle of Richard Wagner, where she was the first female conductor to have recorded either of these cycles. She has also recorded the complete cycle of Brahms' symphonies.

In August 2008, Young appeared as part of the judging panel in the reality TV talent show-themed program Maestro on BBC Two.[8] In December 2012, she was voted Limelight magazine's Music Personality of the Year.[9] In 2022, Young was that magazine's critic's choice as Australian Artist of the Year.[10]

In 2013, in commemoration of the bicentenaries for Richard Wagner and for Giuseppe Verdi, Young conducted the entire 'Bayreuth canon' of ten Wagner operas at a festival entitled Wagner-Wahn (Wagner Madness) in Hamburg, along with three rarely performed Verdi operas as a trilogy in September to November – La battaglia di Legnano, I due Foscari, I Lombardi alla prima crociata.[11] In March 2016, Young was appointed a member of the board of the Europäische Musiktheater-Akademie (European Academy of Music Theatre).[12]

Young had first guest-conducted the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) in 1996. In December 2019, the SSO announced the appointment of Young as its next chief conductor, effective in 2022, with an initial contract of 3 years.[13] Young is the first female conductor to be named chief conductor of the SSO.[14] In February 2024, the SSO announced the extension of Young's contract as its chief conductor through the end of 2026.[15]

In 2024 Simone Young became the first woman to conduct Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Bayreuth Festival. [16]

Personal life

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Young is married to Greg Condon, and has two daughters. She made her first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera while she was five months pregnant and conducted at the Vienna State Opera one month prior to giving birth in 1997.[17]

Media, honours and awards

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Young is featured in the documentary film Knowing the Score directed by Australian documentarian Janine Hosking, a biopic that "is first and foremost a captivating story of a dazzling 30-year music career."[18]

Young has received honorary doctorates from the universities of New South Wales, Sydney and Melbourne. She has been appointed an (AM) "for service to the arts as a conductor with major opera companies and orchestras in Australia and internationally".

In 2021 Young was named the Advance Awards Global Icon.[19]

ARIA Music Awards

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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.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2002 Verdi: Requiem (with Opera Australia) Best Original Cast or Show Album Nominated [20]

Bernard Heinze Memorial Award

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The Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2010 Simone Young Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award awarded [21]

Helpmann Awards

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The Helpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia since 2001.[22] Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2001 Simone Young – Simon Boccanegra Best Musical Direction Nominated [23]
2002 Simone Young – Andrea Chénier Best Music Direction Won [24]
Simone Young – Tristan und Isolde Best Music Direction Nominated
2004 Simone Young – Lulu Best Music Direction Nominated [25]
2005 Simone Young – Simone Young Conducts Mahler Best Performance in a Classical Concert Won [26]
2008 Simone Young – Turangalîla-Symphonie Best Performance in a Classical Concert Nominated [27]
2013 Simone Young conducting the Hamburg Philharmonic – The Resurrection Symphony Best Individual Classical Performance Won [28]
2018 Simone Young Conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra – Beethoven and Bruckner Best Symphony Orchestra Concert Nominated [29]

Mo Awards

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The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Simone Young won one award in that time.[30]

Year Nominee / work Award Result (wins only)
1995 Simone Young Classical Performance of the Year Won

Victorian Honour Roll of Women

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The Victorian Honour Roll of Women was established in 2001 to recognise the achievements of women from the Australian state of Victoria.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2001 Simone Young Victorian Honour Roll of Women awarded [31]

International Opera Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result (wins only)
2024 Simone Young Conductor of the Year Won[32]

Selected discography

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DVD
CD

Bibliography

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  • Pleger, Ralf (2006). Simone Young: die Dirigentin (in German). Hamburg: Europäische Verlagsanstalt. ISBN 978-3-434-50599-0.

References

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  1. ^ "Simone Young Australian conductor of Croatian mother and Irish father". www.croatia.org. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Australian of the Year Awards". www.australianoftheyear.org.au. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  3. ^ Katrina Strickland (27 May 2005). "OA turns corner on debt". The Australian. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
  4. ^ a b John Carmody (16 December 2005). "Sensitive autocrat in a season of content". The Australian. Retrieved 6 April 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Simone Young will 2015 an der Staatsoper aufhören". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 8 December 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Simone Young". Australian Music Centre. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  7. ^ "Simone Young to conduct Vienna Philharmonic". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 November 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2007.
  8. ^ "Eight passionate amateurs bid to become BBC Two's Maestro" (Press release). BBC. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  9. ^ "Limelight Awards: 2012 Winners Announced!" by Melissa Lasnie, Limelight, 17 December 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2023
  10. ^ Steve Moffatt (21 November 2022). "The Limelight Artists of the Year for 2022 – Critic's Choice: Simone Young". Limelight. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  11. ^ Canning, Hugh. "Report from Hamburg". Opera, February 2014, vol. 65, no. 2, pp. 185–187.
  12. ^ "Simone Young new Member of the Board", Europäische Musiktheater-Akademie, 16 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016
  13. ^ "Simone Young announced as the next Chief Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra" (Press release). Sydney Symphony Orchestra. 14 December 2019. Archived from the original on 14 September 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  14. ^ Morris, Linda (14 December 2019). "Simone Young named new chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  15. ^ "Chief Conductor Simone Young Extends Contract to End of 2026" (Press release). Sydney Symphony Orchestra. 27 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  16. ^ Herrmann, Hubertus (11 January 2024). "Simone Young!". Bayreuther Festspiele. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  17. ^ Blair Tindall (14 January 2005). "Call Me Madame Maestro". The New York Times.
  18. ^ "Knowing the Score production details", autlookfilms.com
  19. ^ "Advance Awards 2021 Gamechangers".
  20. ^ ARIA Award previous winners. "History Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  21. ^ MUSSE: Melbourne University Staff / Student E-news
  22. ^ "Events & Programs". Live Performance Australia. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  23. ^ "2001 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  24. ^ "2002 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  25. ^ "2004 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  26. ^ "2005 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  27. ^ "2008 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  28. ^ "2013 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  29. ^ "2018 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners". Helpmann Awards. Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA). Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  30. ^ "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  31. ^ Victorian Honour Roll of Women (PDF). Victorian Government. 2018. p. 36. ISSN 2209-1130.
  32. ^ "Lisette Oropesa & Benjamin Bernheim Win Top Prizes at Opera Awards". OperaWire. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  33. ^ Pleger, Ralf (11 January 2019). "Simone Young : To Hamburg from Downunder". Retrieved 11 January 2019 – via Trove.
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Cultural offices
Preceded by Principal Conductor, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
1998–2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Music Director, Opera Australia
2001–2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Music Director, Hamburg State Opera
2005–2015 		Succeeded by
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