“Absolutely blown away” – conductor George Ellis on his ARIA Award nomination

George Ellis is riding a high. Within the span of a month, the esteemed conductor has revisited the magic of the Sydney Olympics – where his euphony erstwhile carried a federation – and present finds himself honoured with an ARIA Award information for his collaborative work with Justine Clarke, Mimi’s Symphony.

The nomination, successful the Best Children’s Album category, recognises Ellis arsenic composer alongside Clarke, who penned the story. For Ellis, the quality came arsenic a joyful shock.

“You could person knocked maine implicit with a feather. I was perfectly blown away,” helium told Neos Kosmos.

Awards, helium insists, are ne'er the driving force. The Greek Australian conductor says the true reward lies successful the euphony itself and the process of creation.

“When we wrote it and when we execute it, I don’t think astir things similar awards oregon whether radical will similar it. I anticipation evidently that radical bash similar it but I conscionable emotion it arsenic a portion of euphony and I emotion conducting it and working with Justine connected it.”

George Ellis and Justine Clarke mid-performance of ‘Mimi’s Symphony’. Photo: Supplied

Inception of ‘Mimi’s Symphony’

The information represents the culmination of a collaboration that has its basal arsenic acold backmost arsenic 2016 when the duo archetypal met while connected acceptable for a television show.

“Justine was doing a children’s television amusement connected antithetic type of performing artists, visual artists and dancers,” Ellis said.

“One of her television episodes was astir a conductor and I was asked to spell and behaviour for that occurrence and to play the portion of a conductor.”

The creator stated that it was successful betwixt filming that the brace got to cognize 1 different and the thought for a collaboration was born.

“We were talking astir the things we were doing astatine the clip and I mentioned that I was astir to bash ‘Peter and the Wolf’, the celebrated orchestral story for children by Sergei Prokofiev,” Ellis said.

George Ellis and Justine Clarke’s ‘Mimi’s Symphony’ earned an ARIA information for Best Children’s Album. Photo: Supplied

The conductor noted Clarke raised the thought of creating a modern, Australian orchestral story successful the style of ‘Peter and the Wolf’ (e.g. a story told by a narrator aided by orchestral music) and it was from there the duo went to work connected ‘Mimi’s Symphony’.

“Over the play of astir six to 9 months, we yet finished ‘Mimi’s Symphony’ the way we truly wanted it to bash it, and we were fortunate capable to premiere it successful 2019 astatine the City Recital Hall.”

The conductor highlighted however their very affirmative working narration allowed the task to beryllium arsenic bully arsenic it is.

“Working with somebody so adept astatine what they bash and so unfastened to listening and proceeding what her collaborator had to accidental and me, successful turn, reciprocating. That is simply a truly important happening to do.

“If we didn’t person that benignant of working relationship, I don’t think it could person happened.”

George Ellis was filled with joyousness astir his associated work with Justine Clarke, ‘Mimi’s Symphony’, getting an ARIA nod. Photo: Supplied

Ellis stated they person twice performed ‘Mimi’s Symphony’ this year, erstwhile astatine the Sydney Opera House and erstwhile astatine the Canberra Theatre Centre, with the ARIA information being the latest honour for the task helium is immensely arrogant of.

“To get recognised successful the nonrecreational manufacture is simply a very wonderful added bonus. We didn’t write it for that, we conscionable wrote it due to the fact that we thought Australian children needed a caller orchestral story, but to beryllium nominated for an ARIA grant is simply a truly beauteous blessing connected top of that.

For Ellis, the honour is arsenic humbling arsenic it is thrilling.

Reliving Sydney Olympics 25 years later

The information adds to what has been a productive period for the Greek Australian, who got the accidental to relive 1 of the highlights of his vocation when helium performed astatine Stadium Australia for the 25th day of the Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony.

Ellis served arsenic conductor for the expansive opening lawsuit each those years agone connected 15 September, and helium admitted it was a large privilege to bash so again for the 25th day lawsuit held connected the aforesaid date.

“It is simply a very special feeling,” helium said upon being asked to execute astatine the day event, emphasising that conducting the 2000 Olympics Opening Ceremony remains his vocation highlight.

“The sheer standard of the lawsuit backmost successful 2000 was enormous. A packed stadium, millions of radical watching it connected TV. We were reflecting Australia to the world.”

On the podium, baton successful hand, George Ellis radiates the aforesaid vigor helium archetypal unleashed connected the world stage astatine the Sydney Olympics.

He noted that it was a large acquisition to re-enact parts of that ceremony, including the engagement of vocalist Nikki Webster (who was a kid when she sang arsenic portion of the lawsuit successful 2000 and this clip did so alongside her ain two children).

“It was large to beryllium connected that aforesaid stage, that aforesaid podium with beauteous symphony orchestra playing some of the songs from the Opening Ceremony,” Ellis said.

The conductor remarked that, successful enactment with celebrating its 25-year history, they besides performed an orchestral medley of songs by celebrated artists who person performed astatine the stadium since its inception similar Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and more.

“We had a truly bully clip with it, and it was truly special remembering what was a time I will ne'er hide 25 years ago.”