Dr Anne Cawrse, Dr Jesse Budel and Charlee Watt Win Adelaide Critics Circle Awards 2024

On Monday 9 December at Goodwood Theatres, Dr Anne Cawrse was the recipient of the Adelaide Critics Circle award in the Independent Professional category, being recognised for her body of work. The critics made special note of her significant 2024 achievements, including the new work 'All Flesh is Fire' for the Adelaide Chamber Singers (directed by fellow nominee Christie Anderson) and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra's performance of her Cor Anglais Concerto 'The Rest Is Silence', performed with soloist Celia Craig for the third 'She Speaks' festival. This is the first time in the 27-year history of the awards that this award has gone to a composer

A huge congratulations to composer-performer, sound artist and Elder Conservatorium PhD graduate Dr Jesse Budel, who received the Independent Arts Foundation Award for Innovation for his project A Soundmap of Karrawirraparri, supported by Inspiring South Australia and Soundstream New Music.

Elder Conservatorium Open Music Academy alumna Charlee Watt – who studied Classical Voice with Sara Lambert (2021–22) – received the Emerging Artist of the Year Award for her jazz-inspired show Beating Up the Beatles, which played at the Adelaide Fringe and Cabaret Fringe festivals with a talented ensemble of Elder Conservatorium jazz alumni, including Musical Director David Goodwin on keys, Christina Guala on saxophone, Lewis Todd on drums, and Declan Horan on double bass. Congratulations, Charlee!