Liza LIM

Short Biography

LIZA LIM (born 1966, Perth, Australia)

Composer Liza Lim writes music marked by visceral energy and vibrant colour, often exploring forms of ritual and performance aesthetics drawn from both Asian and Australian Aboriginal sources. In describing her music, she counterpoints terms such as `radiance and shadows' and `violence and meditation'.

Her works, which range from operatic and orchestral scores to site-specific installations, have been performed by some of the world's most eminent ensembles. Notably, she was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic to write the orchestral work, Ecstatic Architecture to celebrate the inaugural season of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2004. Recent major commissions have been received from the Festival d'Automne à Paris 2005, Salzburg Festival 2005, Sydney Symphony 2004-06, Bayerischer Rundfunk Orchestra 2007 and 2009, and Lucerne Festival 2007.

She has been closely associated with the ELISION Ensemble over twenty years who have produced some of her larger scale works. These include her chamber operas, the `memory theatre' The Oresteia (1991-93), a Chinese ritual street opera, Yuè Lìng Jié (Moon Spirit Feasting) (1997-99) and installation works Bar-do'i-thos-grol, Sonorous Bodies and Glass House Mountains. She is currently writing a new opera The Navigator in collaboration with librettist Patricia SYKES.

Lim studied composition with Richard HAMES, Riccardo FORMOSA, and Ton de LEEUW. Her music is published by BMG-Ricordi (Milan and London).

She is currently living in Berlin as a DAAD Artist-in-residence.

July 2007

• Long Biography
• Website elision.org.au/composers/lim/
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