Composer Profile
Michael Hugh Dixon
(1961–)
Hometown: Palmerston North (New Zealand)
Living in: Sydney, New South Wales
Born in New Zealand in 1961, Michael learnt piano with his grandmother, and horn and composition with his father. Michael has held full-time playing positions with a number of Australian orchestras, including Principal Horn in the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra. He is now a regular with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra playing natural horn, and the Opera Australia Orchestra. Chamber music credits include his ensemble LOCANA, Omega Ensemble, and Notos Woodwind Quintet. Teaching is an important part of his work: he teaches at schools in Sydney including Inaburra School, St George Girls’ High School, and Caringbah High School. In 2011, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Creative Arts from the University of Wollongong. His other degrees are an MPhil in composition from the University of Queensland, and an MMus in Musicology from Griffith University. Composition is a significant part of his musical life: many of his works are in extended just intonation and are published by Wirripang Pty Ltd. Since 2017, he has been co-curating Sydney MicroFest, an annual event of microtonal music. Michael has a blog exploring brass instruments, harmonics, and just intonation, and builds resources for beginner French horn students.
Horn Ensemble Works
Amoghasiddhi | Amoghasiddhi | 1999 | 9 horns (solo horn and 8 horns) |
Arapacana | Arapacana | 2021 | 2 horns |
Fanfare I | Fanfare I | 1994 | 4 horns |
Fanfares
| Fanfares
I. Fanfare III II. Diamond Fanfare (Fanfare IV) | 2021/2022 | 4 horns |
Five and Seven | Five and Seven | 2021 | 5 horns (solo horn and 4 live or pre-recorded horns) |
Heart to Heart, Mind to Mind | Heart to Heart, Mind to Mind | 2018 | 6 horns |
Of Fearlessness | Of Fearlessness | 2021 | 9 horns |
Our Days | Our Days | 2017 | 6 horns |
Silver Art Upstream | Silver Art Upstream | 2016 | 6 horns |
This Instant | This Instant | 2016 | 4 horns |
This Need Not Be | This Need Not Be | 2011 | 7 horns |
Visualisation | Visualisation | 1998/1999 | 4 horns |
We Are Sufficient | We Are Sufficient | 2006 | 4 horns |
When I Roam | When I Roam | 2000 rev. 2020 | 10 horns and 4 optional trombones (2 tenor and 2 bass) |