Bryan Griffiths

My research aims to investigate, evaluate, and ultimately construct a canon of Australian wind band compositions. Despite witnessing a burgeoning of compositions by local composers over the last several decades, the Australian wind band movement presently lacks a collective sense of what our incarnation of the wind band might be, where it is headed, and in what ways it is distinct from its more notable American, European, and Japanese counterparts. This is due, in large part, to the relative absence of research about, advocacy for, and transmission of local wind band music. Accordingly, the main objective of my project is to establish a canon of works that can be considered as best representative of the Australian wind band movement. Those works identified as canonic will not only be examined in terms of their significance and historic-social contexts, but also with respect to their performative considerations that are important for conductors and instrumentalists in their preparation. These works will then be presented in public recitals, filmed, and digitally uploaded, aiding their circulation across both the Australian and international wind band contexts.