Barry Conyngham was born in Sydney and studied with Peter Sculthorpe in Australia and with Toru Takemitsu in Japan.  He has received numerous awards, prizes and grants for composition, including Churchill (1970), Harkness (1972-74), Australia Council (1974-5), and Senior Fulbright (1982) Fellowships.  He has an ARIA, two Sounds Australian Critics Awards and two Maggs Awards.  In 1997 his contribution to his country was recognised when he was made a Member of the Order of Australia.

​

Conyngham has 50 compositions under contract (to 1993) with Universal Edition, and more than 30 available through Hal Leonard (Melbourne). There are over 30 recordings featuring his compositions (most notably a complete CD by the London Symphony Orchestra on Cala  (London) and, more recently, the recording by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra of PASSING on Move (Australia), his work of dedication to  his teacher Takemitsu.

​

With premieres and performances of his works in Japan, North and South America, Europe, the UK and Australia, Conyngham is one of Australian international composers.  He has over eighty published works and over thirty recordings including those by the London, New Zealand, Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, as well as ensembles from Japan, the UK, Europe, America and Australia.

​

Barry is the Dean of the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorim of Music at the University of Melbourne. 

​

Lyric is very proud to present Barry's 1984 opera Fly as part of its Australian Opera series.

​